


The Revolution

by the_six_fingered_villain



Category: Glass (2019), Split (2016), Unbreakable (2000)
Genre: let's try to talk this out like adults, we were promised a fucking revolution
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-19
Updated: 2019-10-07
Packaged: 2019-10-12 19:47:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 18
Words: 73,741
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17473868
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_six_fingered_villain/pseuds/the_six_fingered_villain
Summary: If you tweak the timing of just a couple things at the end of the film and dial up a son's devotion to his father, you get a very different outcome...[WIP, nearing the end...]





	1. Heads

**Author's Note:**

> Let's be clear- I flippin' loved Glass. There were flaws here and there, yes, but overall I'm entirely supportive of the ending of the film and love the broader universe it suggested. I also feel that, like Split, the end of the film leaves so many amazing little hooks for fan fiction to grab onto and "correct" something. Tweak this, or that and you get radically different outcomes- and I'm look forward to all the varied takes there will be.

David was taking too long. Elijah craned his neck, looking around the parking lot that the Horde wheeled him through. He knew David hadn't questioned himself the way the younger man had. His belief and faith in his powers were still strong, certainly strong enough to break down something as simple as a locked metal door.

 

Gaze jumping to the small water tower that squatted next to the building, he noted it was silent and the tarp over it still. Even from his room in the ward the sound of the pumps as they ran had been loud and clear. He had disabled the system but if these people were not absolutely pathetic they would have installed some manual overrides. The worry that at any minute now they'd rumble to life again, signalling failure, gnawed at him. There was no way that the doctor had somehow gotten to David, somehow thwarted the man's escape and his own plan, Elijah struggled to be certain of it.

 

Patricia again pushed his chair as fast as she could, now navigating up the curving path from the basement garage to the building's loading roundabout. Absently he commanded her to secure them a ride and she happily leapt to the task.

 

Bracing himself on the chair's armrests, he struggled to lift himself slightly and twist further to survey the grounds. His disappointment swelled and he could almost feel it choke him. Screams from the parking lot drew his attention and he rolled over to what appeared to be Dennis, the cries of the two women now muffled behind the van's closed doors. As Dennis protested and Patricia thankfully resumed control, Elijah resigned himself to this branch of the many possible outcomes. He'd had contingency plans atop contingency plans, this wasn't a setback but it did mean abandoning what he'd calculated as the most likely outcome.

 

The shrieking again filled his ears as Patricia pulled open the passenger door and helped him into his seat. He considered suggesting the Beast feed now on his Impure, if only to avoid having to put up with them for the entire drive to the Osaka Tower. If he fed now, surely David would have time to find them. Just because he'd calculated the outcome as most probable however didn't mean it was most desired and Elijah allowed himself the briefest glimmer of hope that not only would his plan succeed but that he might escape unscathed. Not till now had he allowed himself the freedom to truly consider such outcomes on an emotional level, his thoughts up to this point consisting entirely of the technical aspects of his interlocking plans.

 

Scanning the parking lot he saw a van haphazardly parked a little behind the vehicle the Horde had acquired for them. The driver side door slammed shut as Patricia- no, apparently now Luke settled behind the wheel after having wrestled his wheelchair into the back with the girls. It was easy enough to ignore the sobs and pleas from behind him, the van having clearly been designed such that any desperate fingers that slipped through the mesh were unable to reach either passenger or driver up front.

 

As they carefully drove down the long road that exited the hospital grounds, Elijah watched a taxi approach. Turning his head, he smiled and winked at his mother as she stared at him in wonder from the back seat as the cars passed.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Though Luke seemed to vibrate with nervous energy as he drove, there was little to no discussion beyond directions delivered. Given that the two young girls behind him continued to wail and sob at full volume, any conversation attempted would have been difficult. Eventually Elijah ordered them to pull over so that the Beast could deal with their additional passengers while he assessed the situation. Elijah had the man help him out of the car and into his chair so that he could think more clearly away from the racket. 

 

Using Daryl's phone, Elijah quickly scanned various public news feeds and frowned. Luke collapsed behind the van, writhing and gasping in what sounded like pain for a brief moment as the Beast assumed what Patricia had called the Light. Glancing up from the device, Elijah watched the man struggle for a moment with the handle before wrenching the door open. The brief reprise from the screaming ended as the Beast lunged into the van, not bothering to close the door behind him. The noises escalated for a moment and then were halved in volume.

 

One of the girls stumbled out of the van, blood soaking the front of her shirt and pasting her hair to her face. She had just enough time to turn to look at Elijah with wide, fear filled eyes before an arm extended from behind the damaged door and she was yanked back within. Finding the sounds that now emerged from the vehicle still unpleasant but far more tolerable, Elijah turned back to the phone he held.

 

They were at one of the few weak points amongst his various interlocking and overlapping plans. They needed to get to the Tower in time. Needed to stand before all the cameras clustered there there before their next serious encounter with David or any other meddling forces. When the Beast eventually emerged, licking the gore and blood from around his mouth, Elijah felt ready. Lifting his hands, the Beast dragged his tongue over the back of his arm and seemed quite content to simply stand before Elijah and clean himself. Fighting back an exasperated sigh, Elijah cleared his throat.

 

"We still have work to do, remember?" he smiled encouragingly at the hulking figure before him. "Do you think one of the Horde could acquire us another car, Partner?"

 

Slowly the Beast nodded and with twitches and twists seemed to almost deflate, curling in on himself as heaving breaths became more panicked breathing.

 

"Holy fuckin' hell," Luke muttered again in a thick Texan accent as he looked down to to survey himself. "Holy shit," he added, shaking slightly before stumbling to the side of the van and vomiting briefly. A lot came up and both men seemed to go out of their way to not acknowledge it. Rubbing the back of a still bloody hand across his mouth, Luke stumbled away from the mess and then hissed again as he caught sight of what was in the van. Not being able to see exactly what the Beast had left behind, Elijah felt the tiniest prickle of curiosity as the sight seemed to so wreck the man. He stumbled away and someone else took his place, jerking back upright and holding themselves suddenly ridged.

 

Unable to resist, Elijah unlocked his wheels and rolled forward slightly. Even he drew a breath at the scene within the van. "Did- did- did he do that?" Hedwig mumbled, from behind him. It was a struggle, but Elijah was able to turn an analytical eye on the wreckage of flesh before him.

 

"I've done worse," Elijah observed in an almost clinical way. While he had never gotten close to any of the hundreds he killed, he knew abstractly he'd done worse. It was hard to imagine the scene before him multiplied, let alone tenfold. One of the girls' rip cage had been cracked open and the way the bone peeked from what clinging flesh remained would stay with him for the rest of his life, however long it may be.

 

Drawing a shaky breath, he again asked for a new car and rolled forward further as if he'd meant to reposition himself on the other side of the van, again out of sight from what it contained. The way the Horde's head tracked his movement made it clear Patricia had returned to help him, thankfully. She at least seemed to have no problem with the sight within the van, and she carefully inspected her hands.

 

"Of course," she murmured and slipped away to do as he bid. Elijah pulled out the phone again and this time connected to a series of sites that let him tunnel through to the machines streaming the feed he'd set up earlier. The process took time and was rather tedious. Coming further up to speed on the latest technologies was one of Elijah's first tasks once they'd finished with the Tower. Thankfully chemistry was a classic skill and it didn't require much beyond the what they'd already figured out in the 80s, 1880s if even. Truly timeless, though he certainly looked forward to catching up on the latest advancements on those fronts as well.

 

These thoughts and many, many more were flitting through his head when the video feed suddenly connected, buffering enough to kick out the first half seconds of the latest footage. Elijah's breath caught and he leaned forward suddenly in his chair, wheezing. "No!" he cried, clutching the phone and staring at the screen.


	2. Tails

Joseph slammed the door of the van behind him, palms sweaty. It was early and thankfully not many cars were in the parking lot yet. Shoving his hands in his coat pockets, he gripped the pistol concealed within and drew a shaking breath.

 

It was the morning of the third and final day of Dr Staple's holding of his father and he'd slept not at all the night before. Surely she had to know he would do this. He prayed his father would understand when he had a chance to explain himself.

 

To his surprise, the doctor stepped out onto the hospital's entrance as he approached. "Dr Staple," he called, hurrying to meet her before she could move too far from the exit. "Dr Staple, if I could just have a moment of your time." The woman frowned at him as he reached the step below her. She opened her mouth and he could tell by her expression she was going to decline, to send him away, so he went ahead and pulled the gun on her. Keeping it low and between then, he repeated in as steely voice as he could "A moment of your time."

 

The woman's eyes went wide at that and she thankfully closed her mouth without screaming or making a scene. With a significant look and gesture with the weapon, he guided them both back into the hospital and towards the her office.

 

Carefully easing the door closed behind himself, he faced the doctor and drew a deep breath. "You're going to release my father," he said in what he hoped was a firm voice. The woman stared at him with such a calm, almost sad, expression that he felt a knot of worry and doubt forming in his gut. Gripping the pistol he held even more firmly, he kept it trained on her and nodded his head. "We're going to go to wherever you're keeping him right now and you're going to let him out."

 

"Joseph, I don't have time for this right now," she said in a far too soft voice. "I don't think you've thought this through. We both know I can't- I won't let your father out. And we both know you're not going to shoot me." The calm way she spoke, so full of certainty and disappointment tore at him.

 

"I will. I can." She was more certain than he was that he wouldn't do it and it eroded his confidence. He gestured again with the gun. "I'm not letting you take my father away." Reconsidering his original plan to have her escort him through the facility he demanded she tell him where his father was and to provide access to that portion of the hospital. He'd looked up the facility's floor plans in advance knowing something like this might happen but he dreaded what the rest of this approach called for.

 

"I'm sorry, Joseph, but we both have very little say in what's going to happen to your father now. Please, just-" the doctor had taken a calm step forward that he did not appreciate when the door behind him burst open.

 

The woman lunged for him and he twisted out of the way of both the intruder and the attack. Focusing on the most immediate threat, Joseph brought the butt of the pistol down hard on Dr Staple's head and she collapsed at his feet. Turning, raising his now bloodied weapon, he found Casey Cooke wide eyed on the other end of the muzzle. The girl immediately stepped back, hands raised. With a fearful expression she glanced between him and the groaning woman at his feet. Not having established exactly where his father was kept nor securing access, Joseph regretted he couldn't just push past the girl and forge his way into the hospital. Instead he grabbed her wrist and yanked her forward into the room. She stumbled over the collapsed form of the doctor as he hastily closed the door behind her.

 

"I- I- I- just wanted to talk to the doctor," Casey gasped, hands still raised. She backed away from him and towards the desk on the other side of the room. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-" she glanced down at the woman who struggled to push herself to her feet, hand held to her profusely bleeding scalp. "To interrupt," Casey finished in a breathy voice.

 

"Joseph, give me the gun," Dr Staple said as she stood swaying before him, free hand outstretched. "You don't understand what's happening. I don't have time for this."

 

"I'm sorry, Casey," Joseph said, speaking over the woman's shoulder as he kept his weapon on her. Somehow the sight of the blood running through the woman's already red hair, turning it almost black, solidified for him that this was really happening. There was no going back now.

 

"I'm here for my father," Joseph repeated both to remind the doctor and to bring Casey up to speed. "Tell me where he is or I'll tear this entire hospital apart to find him." Internally he winced at that, it sounded overly dramatic, almost like something the villains his father took down would say. His grip on the pistol was firm and steady once again.

 

"You idiot," the woman hissed, her calm exterior cracking for the first time and the viper within showing itself. "It's too late for him. Give me the gun right now and I'll let you go." Untangling her fingers from her soaked hair she looked at her bloody hand. "They will be here soon and it will not go well for you," she whispered.

 

Casey's eyes darted rapidly between Joseph and the doctor. While the older woman was apparently willing to try and call his bluff the younger at least believed him to be serious. "I know where he is," she said in a rush. "And that's the key card right there to get you there," she added, pointing to a plain white badge that dangled at the woman's waist.

 

The doctor stared daggers at the girl as Joseph instructed her to raise her hands and carefully, so very carefully, plucked the badge from her hip. Nostrils flaring with obvious rage, she tossed her head, half her locks clinging damply to her face and neck, glued in place by the blood that continued to flow from her head wound. "It doesn't matter," she said ominously.

 

Joseph drew a deep breath and braced himself for what had to be done. "Casey, get on the floor and put your hands on your head," he instructed and the girl hurried to comply. Satisfied she wouldn't be able to interfere, Joseph quickly tucked the gun into his coat again and darted forward. The doctor of course tried to attack him and he was surprised by how strong she was, but she was still no match. His father had drilled in him long and hard over the years on how to appropriately administer a chokehold and while she managed to draw blood, raking nails across his cheek before he secured her hands, she was unconscious soon enough.

 

"Ok, get up, Casey," he instructed, shaking slightly from the adrenalin that surged through his system. The girl hesitated a moment, face still turned towards the floor before she carefully climbed to her feet. Head bowed she spared a glance at the limp form of the doctor before quickly looking away. "She's just unconscious," he explained hastily, gesturing that the girl should lead the way. While she nodded in understanding, the girl kept her eyes lowered as she hurried to comply with his request.

 

Keeping one hand on his cheek, he was shocked at how few people they passed. Though Casey was clearly scared of him, she managed to move with a sort of calm determination that drew no attention. They passed unmolested through the ward and eventually reached a mesh gate. Casey looked around and then back to him briefly, long enough for him to catch the look of surprised confusion she wore. "There's supposed to be a guard here," she said in a whisper. Joseph nodded, sensing as well that something was wrong as he badged them both through the gate. The battered door laying in the middle of the hallway wasn't even that surprising when they reached it. Casey still gasped in fright, running to the open door across the hallway and staring into the empty room it revealed. Joseph swore and looked around the deserted hospital wing. He understood now what the doctor may have been trying to suggest.

 

Joseph took off running down one of the halls, desperate to find something, some clue of what had happened. He prayed the clue would not be in the form of yet another body. The sound of light footsteps following him was a surprise but he didn't turn around. If Casey wanted to follow he was fine with that and if she wanted to confront him, he suspected she'd fair worse than the doctor had.

 

It was blind, fabulous, fantastical luck that he eventually turned a corner and collided quite solidly with his father. He and Casey had already turned down several wrong corridors, the girl silently stepping out of his way when he turned to backtrack, only to fall in step behind him again as he continued to search. The girl collided suddenly with him, equally surprised to round the corner and not find it empty.

 

Of course neither impact moved David in the slightest. He glanced between the two, eyebrows drawing together in confusion. "Joseph, what are you doing here?" He asked.

 

Stumbling back a step, moving away from the looming form of his father and the cowering one of Casey, he ran a hand through his hair. "I- I came to break you-"

 

"What happened to your face?" David asked quickly, interrupting him. He clearly looked at Casey's hands, clutched before her chest, and then back to his son.

 

"Dr Staple," he explained, not meeting his father's glare. "She- she wasn't... helpful."

 

"Joseph, what have you done?" His father breathed with a note of horror to his voice and Joseph felt his gut twist. That his father wouldn't approve had been the one major flaw in his plan, but he'd rather have a disapproving father than no father.

 

"The Horde, they've escaped," Casey whispered, thankfully drawing attention back to the important issues at hand. While she no longer cowered exactly, she still pressed herself against the far wall and kept her arms crossed defensively over her chest. Joseph couldn't blame the fearful expression she wore, gazing up at his father. Somehow David had picked up his rain poncho along the way and he knew any reasonable person, not just the criminals his father hunted, would be intimidated by the man.

 

"I know," David replied dryly and moved to step past Joseph, continuing down the hall they'd just run down. Joseph and Casey quickly fell in step behind him, the girl having to take two for every one of David's. "They're going to attack the the Osaka Tower grand opening ceremony. I have to stop them." He sounded weary and sad but undoubtedly resigned at this idea.

 

Casey stumbled and then stopped. Against his better judgement, Joseph did too and looked back over his shoulder at the girl. David made it several more steps before he paused too and looked back at her.

 

"She said... 'they will be here soon'... If they're attacking the building, if they already left... Who was she talking about?" The girl looked to both men in confusion and Joseph felt a chill crawl up his spine. David remained still for a moment longer before he turned and continued his march down the hallway, the other two again hurrying to follow.

 

* * *

 

There were small splatters if blood on the floor leading from the doctor's office to the front door, shockingly visible given how few and minisquel they were. David gave Joseph another stare as the man lead the way back out of the building.

 

Pushing through the double doors that made up the hospitals entrance, Casey was confronted by a confusing sight. Dr Staple stood in the middle of the parking lot, directing a number if what appeared to be police or security officers as she held a bloody bandage to her head. Next to her stood an older, well dressed black woman who wrung her hands and looked about in distress. Everyone collectively turned to stare at David, Joseph, and Casey as they stepped out onto the stairs. All three collectively raised their hands as multiple guns were drawn and trained on them. Very careful Casey took a step to the side, putting more space between the dangerous father son duo and herself. While she desperately wanted to know what had become of the Horde, she did not want to get mixed up in the trouble those two were bringing down upon their heads.

 

The older woman raised a hand to her mouth and took a step towards them but was quickly bypassed by Dr Staple. The woman boldly strode forward several steps before stopping, initially striking a rather aggressive pose, intentionally or not, with hands balled into fists and her chin lifted before she relaxed into a less threatening position. Hands slowly raising, fists unclenching, she spoke a calm and friendly voice. "David, I'm going to need you to surrender. Again. Remember how this went last time. No one needs to get hurt." The sentence sounded weird when spoken by a woman whose pale shirt already showed several blood stains.

 

David shifted but said nothing. The older woman now pushed past the woman and reached out beseechingly to the man. "David, the beast has taken Elijah. I'm worried something terrible is going to happen. Please, you must stop them." The doctor turned to watch the old woman as she spoke, lips compressing and turning down in a frown.

 

"Ms Price," she said carefully, reaching out to lay a hand on the woman's arm presumably to guide her away. The old woman shook her off and took several more steps towards David and glared back at the woman. "This is all your fault," she said in an accusatory tone.

 

While David didn't obviously surrender, despite several guards shouting for him to do so, neither did the men with guns escalate the situation. Casey licked her lips and wondered if she could approach and surrender herself without getting hurt in the confusion. She considered laying on the ground again the way the man named Joseph and instructed her to.

 

It was about then that a large black van roared down the road towards them, drawing everyone's attention. When it came to a screeching halt, several of the guards turned their guns towards it, despite Dr Staple's commands to stand down. Casey suddenly felt an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. Presumably 'they' had arrived.

 

The team that spilled out the moment the van door was thrown open were not cops. They didn't look like any soldiers or SWAT team she'd seen, except perhaps in a video game. In the minutes, hours, and days since her escape from the Horde, she'd grown quite familiar with what the Philadelphia police department and its various branches looked like. David's posture suggested he too was disturbed by this flood of well armed individuals into the parking lot. They flowed around the regular cops, several immediately moving towards the building's walls and she heard the crash of a glass window to her right. No doubt they'd have visitors behind them shortly.

 

Casey was distracted by the sight of these new individuals disarming the guards, Dr Staple moving amongst them, continuing to issue orders for them to stand down. When she heard the shot though, she didn't need to sense David's massive form stumbling back to guess who the target was. Turning, almost against her will, she wasn't surprised that she saw no blood as the man sagged back against the wall. His swirling rain poncho concealed his figure and no doubt the copious amounts of blood that would flow from a wound from such a high caliber rifle. She was surprised to see two more red dots dance over the man's chest, flitting to hover over his heart for no longer than a blink of an eye when the man convulsed again and the sound of gun fire roared through the parking lot.

 

Though Joseph cried out at the sight of this, Casey was beyond relieved that he didn't foolishly draw his own pistol and attempt to return fire. "Dad!" He cried out, throwing himself forward and over the man. Casey kept her hands raised and felt light headed. A sick feeling continued to curl within her as she watched her own little red dot dance over her chest. The feelings she felt when being pursued by the Beast surfaced within her again. Her breath began to quicken and her head grew light. Joseph had his own red dot upon him though he faced his father and had no way to know it.

 

"Back away from him," one of the masked soldiers commanded and Casey saw a pair rush to a structure on the left side of the building, dragging what looked to be a large coil of rope. No, it wasn't rope, she realized in a daze, it was tubing. They had guns drawn and trained on them and for some reason they were setting up what looked like a fireman's hose. The confusion just sharpened Casey's fright.

 

The sound of Joseph continuing to cry over his father wasn't helping. The old woman out front seemed just as upset as Casey by everything and when she lunged forward to tug on the arm of one of the soldiers in fright everything got worse. "No!" she cried in fear. "He has to save Elijah," she begged. In response to that the soldier whose arm she tugged on glanced to Dr Staple. The woman nodded and the soldier's grip shift on their firearm, the butt of it suddenly snapping out and connecting with the old woman's face. Blood erupted from her nose and she spun about as she collapsed, hitting the ground heavily and moving not at all as she lay there.

 

"No!" Casey couldn't help but cry out, knowing full well now something wrong was happening. Like the prey her father and uncle used to hunt, Casey was unable to suppress the urge to run and she tried to dart to the side of the steps, to get away from the threat surrounding the fallen man and the danger that was going to burst through the front door at any moment.

 

Of course it didn't go well for her. It felt like someone punched her shoulder and she was spun around. Brick and sky whirled in her vision as the force of the impact sent her stumbling, then falling, as she tumbled down the hospital's front steps. She'd been shot, she realized, the moment before her head connected solidly with the pavement and everything stopped.

 

* * *

 

The fear that they'd just shoot through Joseph to get to him gripped him as did his son. Joseph continued to shake his shoulder, crying out repeatedly for him. It took all his effort to remain limp on the step, seemingly fallen. Once again he was thankful for the poncho's slick rippling fabric that concealed his form and hid the presumed damage done to him.

 

David didn't know what he was going to do as he slowly gathered his wits. Things were beyond out of control and Joseph was in danger. Despite what the doctor had said, he felt surrendering this time was not actually the safest option forward. When he heard Ms Price cry out for him and then suddenly silence, he wasn't exactly surprised. That they'd shoot the girl was surprising. The hood hid his face so he couldn't see if she'd done anything to warrant the shot but he highly doubted it. His heart was ice and ready to be shattered the moment the expected third shot was fired, but it never came.

 

"No!" he could hear Dr Staple cry out. "She's the only one we can use to stop the other one. Wait till we've contained them."

 

The question of why they hadn't shot Joseph was answered seconds later as the door behind them burst open and a pair of guards stormed the steps, grabbing his son and forcing him away. Rough hands rolled him over and he could see from under his hood a pair of red dot sights dancing on his chest, Joseph no longer between him and then. Drawing a breath but not wasting it on a sigh, David braced himself. This was going to hurt but he realized without a doubt it was what needed to be done.

 

Lashing out with all his force, David drove his fist into the face of the soldier that had rolled him over. Grabbing the leg of the man who held Joseph, he first pushed, the leg snapping backwards unnaturally at the knee and then yanked forward so that the pair collapsed onto the ground. He got kicked twice more in the chest by the shots but this time he knew what to expect and was able to brace better against it.

 

His priority was to protect Joseph, and so he did, rolling over his son and shielding him with his own body. The soldier whose leg he'd shattered screamed next to them and David finished the job with a thrust to the man's throat before he grabbed the dead man's shoulder and rolled him forward to help shield Joseph.

 

There had been a hope that they'd fire and then stop, but they continued to shoot and even with his unnatural strength and resilience, it began to take its toll on him. He felt the faint trickle of blood seep from a couple spots that had been hit repetitively and he knew they needed to move. Grabbing the second dead soldier that lay on the steps, the used both to shield them as he ordered Joseph to crawl inside.

 

Horrifying as the situation was, Joseph managed to keep his head and he indeed did crawl back into the building. There was a hiss of water pressure and David felt the kiss of a water hit his ankles as he hurried inside, dead man in each grip, shielding him.

 

The two exchanged horrified looks, both heaving, before Joseph pointed towards the stairs they'd come down and they both took off running towards it, David dropping the bodies on the steps. It wasn't exactly a plan, but perhaps it would buy them some time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I like writing violence... Anyway, I've a clear idea as to what happens next. Will get to it... soon? No update schedule promised. Next chapter is "The Coin Toss". Think I'd like the see the film again just to double check some things first... 
> 
> While I've a plan, am open to suggestions. No, Casey's not dead (obviously) but I've still not decided if Ms Price will make it out alive...


	3. The Coin Toss

The situation was only dire because Joseph was there. David allowed himself a brief moment to squeeze his eyes shut as frustration washed over him. If it weren't for Joseph he'd rush the men with their guns or perhaps just leap out a window and flee. Joseph however could never survive such a fall and while a rush wouldn't immediately harm the boy, David couldn't trust that he'd be able to contain all the soldiers and keep them away from his son. As it was, they were on the top floor of the building, the game of cat and mouse they were playing drawing to a close. The mice were running out of places to hide.

 

"Here!" Joseph cried, looking at a plaque and then frantically gesturing to the door beside it. "This says roof access!" Lacking any better choice, the stomp of incoming boots echoing down the hallway, David jerked his head in a nod and they both hustled through the door.

 

"Keep going," David barked, leaning to brace against the door. "The roof. Go to the roof, I'll join you there." He glared up at Joseph who had paused several steps up, hand gripping the railing. There was the roar of gunfire and several dents appeared in the door's surface. Joseph's eyes widened and then he spun, sprinting up the steps. Closing his eyes, David bowed his head and held the door as he felt someone struggle with the handle on the other side. He didn't know what Joseph would find on the roof, but he felt he could at least buy him some time. That he felt confident he could hold the door till they'd carve a hole in it was an almost frightening thought, but one David embraced.  

 

* * *

 

"I'm going! I'm going!" Luke cried, glancing nervously to Elijah and then back to the road again as he violently switched lanes to pass a car. A light ahead turned red and he began to slow.

 

"Keep. Going." Elijah grit out from between clenched teeth and Luke gulped but slammed his foot again on the gas pedal. Patricia and the Beast had been very insistent that he do exactly what this man wanted. Exactly, to the letter. He really wished they could pause for a second so he could double check with them because the man seemed to be a little crazy at the moment. First it had been 'lets go to the tower and create chaos' and then, the moment Patricia had secured them a car, one that passed Elijah's review, it had been 'get back to the hospital asap'. Luke licked his lips and again cut blindly through an intersection, flying past two cars lawfully paused at the stop sign.

 

The sight of the hospital, squatting behind its small bank of trees, came into sight and Luke let himself relax just the slightest. Maybe this 'Mr Glass' fellow had realized he was crazy and should actually be locked up. While Luke was definitely Team Horde and believed the Beast was more than human, the man next to him gripping the passenger roof hand hold and braced against the car's dashboard didn't seem so super human.

 

Turning onto the private drive, there was just a long stretch of empty road between them and their revised destination. At Mr Glass's urging, the green hatchback the man had jumpstarted for them roared towards the hospital as Luke again pushed the car to it's and his driving abilities absolute limit. "Remember," the man gasped from the passenger seat, sliding to the side slightly as Luke took a turn far too fast. "You need to get him out. This is about you two, not... whoever these people are."

 

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Luke muttered, sweating as the building loomed before them. As promised, there were indeed more cars parked there than when they'd left. A number of guards and security people could be seen milling about and Luke again gulped nervously. The memory of what had been left behind in the van haunted him and he tried not to look at where his hands gripped the wheel. Patricia had cleaned them up a bit, a water bottle in their new car helping immensely with the removal of blood and bile from their mouth, but there hadn't been much time.

 

"The back, park around the back. They will come for me but... that's not important. What's important is for you and David to- You need to get him out, to confront him. You need to challenge him, to push him to-" The man was cut off as they both flinched, several shots peppering the car as the lingering soldiers clearly noticed them and opened fire. The van roared passed them and around to the back of the building, jumping a curb and tearing over the grass as they managed to leave the soldiers behind. Glancing in his rear view mirror, Luke could see several of them chasing after them just as they rounded the building and he knew they didn't have long.

 

Slamming on the breaks, rear wheels spinning out slightly, Luke brought the car to an abrupt halt and he stumbled out of it, not even bothering to turn the vehicle off. He made it no more than a step when the pain rippled over him and he collapsed again. Muscles up and down his back spasmed, clenched and twitched in unnatural ways. He felt himself arch and then bend, driven like a marionette on tangled strings as the Beast worked his way into the Light and altered things to his liking.

 

A shot slammed into his shoulder, knocking him back a step but the Beast's head snapped up and he growled. It hurt, but it had not broken the skin and the Beast growled deep in his chest. Two soldiers had rounded the building and approached with raised guns. More shots slammed into him and he heard the car windows shatter behind him and then he was running, leaping. Darting quickly from one side to the other as he closed, he managed to avoid further shots though clumps of dirt erupted at his feet every step of the way as they came dangerously close. Then he was there, up and under the first soldier's guard.

 

* * *

 

The car tearing towards the hospital was unexpected. Joseph watched as it sped up the road, drawing the attention of the few soldiers who had crowded around Casey. It seemed impossible for something else unexpected to happen at this point. Pinned down atop the hospital, his father holding off countless soldiers, Joseph could not imagine things getting stranger than they currently were. And then the Beast emerged from the driver seat of the car.

 

Drawing a deep, shaky breath, Joseph watched the man as he survived repeated direct gunshot wounds and then bloodily tore into the two soldiers who had dared challenge him. When his father had confronted the Horde saving those girls, all he'd heard were grunts, cries, and the sound of a struggle. He knew the man had been unnaturally strong but seeing it demonstrated sent Joseph reeling. The Beast was like his father, there were indeed others.

 

Gunfire erupted again, this time much closer and behind him. Joseph spun and leaned back against the roof's railing as his father stumbled backwards out of the stairwell entrance. The way he twitched and jerked backward, Joseph knew he the shots were striking true. "Dad!" he cried frantically. David looked over to him and then turned towards the stairwell and lunged forward, pushing back the soldier in black that had just emerged from it. 

 

Frantic, Joseph turned and looked back down to where the Beast was. Where he had been. Two mauled figures lay sprawled on the floor, blood already pooling out around their black clad forms. More importantly, the Beast growled at him, almost halfway up the rain pipe attached towards the side of the building. The two locked gazes and then the Beast was scrambling up further as Joseph stumbled away in dread. 

 

Turning, Joseph opened his mouth to warn his father only to find David forced backwards by an explosion at the mouth of the stairwell. There was several pings as shrapnel struck various vents and pipes that poked up across the roof's surface. He didn't really register the sting he felt till he looked down and saw his coat sleeve slowly start to darken. With shaking fingers, Joseph touched the small tear in the fabric and felt the sluggish pump of blood as it worked its way out of the gash on his arm. 

 

The sound of a threatening rumble had him slowly facing the edge of the building again. The Beast stood there, hulking shoulders heaving with dramatic breaths, arms curled slightly in with fists tightly clenched. There wasn't even any room left for fear, Joseph just stood there in a daze, knowing full well he was about to be torn up just as the men below had been. And if he wasn't, a bullet to the back of the head was moments away.

 

With an inhuman roar, the Beast barreled past him and straight into the small group of soldiers emerging from the stairwell. Leaping over David's fallen form, the Beast slammed one of the soldiers back against the doorframe, bending their arm unnaturally and then used the writhing form as a shield against what sounded like a barrage of gunfire was he forced his way down the steps and out of sight. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Weeeee! Am having fun with all the posts flowing through Tumblr as people start talking about the movie... Would love for more folks to join the conversation(s): https://the-six-fingered-villain.tumblr.com Am starting to throttle the rate of my replies though to draw it out... savor the fervor while you can...


	4. In 3 dimensional space there's the faint chance the coin will land on its edge

Joseph sprinted towards his father's side the moment the Beast was out of sight. He could still hear the man roaring like an animal and the screams of dying soldiers as he strained to lift his father, pulling on the old man's arm. For his part, David groaned and stumbled to his feet, clearly at his limit. Large patches of his poncho gaped open now, holes eaten through it by shrapnel and the violence endured fighting back so many soldiers for so long.

 

Stumbling, they made their way to the edge of the building and Joseph again looked down. The car that the Beast had driven up in sat idling not far from them, only it was three very tall floors down. "We can do this," Joseph said, testing out how true it sounded as he spoke. "You... you can... jump. And I'll..." Joseph frantically looked around as his father sagged against the building's railing. "I'll climb down the drain pipe he just-" The thought was lost as his throat closed up in fear. The sound of screaming had stopped.

 

The man carefully emerged from the stairwell, gracefully stepping over the sprawled form of one of soldiers who had lived long enough to try and crawl away. Moving silently on his bare feet, he stalked over to them, shoulders held back and arms tensed, ready. He bared his teeth and hissed at David before pulling back and drawing a deep breath, chest swelling. Though clearly exhausted, David pushed himself to his feet and seemed to sway a bit as he brought his fists up into a defensive position. The corner of the Beast's lip twitched up and it was clear to all three how this was going to end.

 

"Wait!" Joseph cried, waving his hands over his head and stepping forward. He wanted to throw himself between his father and this monster but he couldn't quite bring himself to do so, the fear making his feet feel like they were made of lead. "No! Wait!" 

 

At the very least, he was effective. Both men turned to him, David with a look of horror but the Beast just cocked his head to an unnatural angle and leaned forward. Joseph couldn't help but stumble back as the Beast took a step towards him and then another as David moved to follow. The Beast froze again, turning his head to eye David in almost warning before looking back to Joseph and raising an eyebrow.

 

Gulping, realizing this was his only chance, Joseph said "The girl, she's been shot." He pointed towards the roundabout though the Beast didn't react in the slightest. "The girl who you let live! She came here today to see you and- and she was shot by the soldiers. I don't think-" Joseph gasped and stumbled backwards, almost tripping onto his ass as the man rushed towards him and then past. The Beast bounded over to the railing and clutched it tightly, the metal deforming under his grasp, as he looked down into the parking lot.

 

"She's still alive, I'm sure of it," Joseph added though he wasn't certain of it. "Dr Staple said they were going to use- use her against you." As expected, the Beast didn't appear to like this and he threw back his head and again made a near inhuman sound full of fury and wrath. He didn't even bother to look back towards David or Joseph as he hauled himself over the railing, the sound of nearby shattering glass not soon after suggesting he hadn't simply jumped but again was crawling across the building’s front.

 

With a shaky breath, Joseph turned towards his father again. David just nodded and moved back towards the rain pipe on the other side of the building. Looking at it and then back to Joseph he simply said, "We don't have much time." 

 

Nodding in understanding, Joseph shook out his hands and approached the edge of the building. In theory there were no more guards between them and a safe, sane descent through the building but Joseph understood they couldn't risk it. He didn't want to think too much about this. If he over thought it, there was no way he was even going to get a leg over the railing. So he didn't. Not even pausing, Joseph walked to the edge and then swung himself over the barrier, carefully lowering himself down while keeping as flush to the building as possible.

 

He'd made it a whole floor down when David called out to him. "There’s a soldier coming, Joseph." Squeezing his eyes closed, Joseph took a deep breath and clung to the rain pipe. "I'm going down to deal with him. You just need to keep going, ok? Be safe. Focus. Don't- don't let anything distract you," his father said in a rush. Joseph nodded, eyes still closed.

 

* * *

 

Elijah sat in the car, hands firmly clasped. He was pleased at the footage captured by the Beast's handling of the two soldiers who had greeted him, but the man had quickly scaled the building and despite her threats, Dr Staple hadn't placed cameras everywhere on the grounds. The roof was one of the few blind spots and one Elijah had factored far too improbable to be an issue. He suppressed a sigh. It was always the littlest of details that got you in the end.

 

As it was, he tried to both look and be calm, tried to be resigned. There was nothing he could do at this point, all the pieces were in motion. Everyone and everything was in motion, except for him. Patricia had thrown his chair in the trunk of the car and Elijah doubted he'd be able to retrieve it, even if he had time. No, once again Elijah was force to simply sit there while everything he'd orchestrated unfolded around him. Except this time, someone had greatly upset his plans. At the moment they weren't so much as unfolding as unraveling. He clenched his fist and, unable to help himself, pulled out Daryl's phone again. The stream was already up and running and she lay there. His mother lay, still motionless, in the middle of road as several soldiers rushed about. Dr Staple stood talking to someone several feet away, uncaring that his mother was hurt, possibly dead. The video was not nearly clear enough to make out what the woman was saying, let alone detect if his mother was breathing. 

 

He almost looked away again when the figure of the Beast dropped into the far corner of the frame. The security feed had no audio, but he could hear the screams start up on the other side of the building, oddly out of sync with the slightly delayed video feed. Elijah gripped the phone with both hands and leaned in close to it, unconsciously holding his breath. The struggle heaved and surged around the lot as the soldiers switched to riot gear in an attempt to force him back, having apparently realized guns weren't getting them very far.

 

Elijah's attention was ripped from the phone by the sound of a loud impact just in front of the car. Mouth opening in shock, he watched as David slowly drew himself up from the shrubbery he'd landed ungracefully in. The man didn't even seem to notice him as he stumbled out of the greenery and then, stumble turning into a run, clashed with a soldier who was coming around the building. The soldier made it no further than the first two had, though he might have fared better. That he didn't get up after David slammed him twice into the building before letting him fall didn't mean he was obviously dead, where as the two who had gone before would certainly never be getting up again. Another impact, less dramatic this time drew his attention back to the building where a young man stumbled away from it. He backed into the same bush David had landed in and nearly tumbled but he quickly righted himself. Turning, he and Elijah locked gazes and the young man froze. While Elijah wouldn't have said the resemblance was obvious, it was easy enough to deduce who he was looking at.

 

Stumbling to the car, Joseph reached the passenger door and stopped just out of reach. Breathing heavily, the young man looked at him in a sort of confusion, glancing at the empty driver's seat and then back at him. Elijah smiled, though he clenched his jaw and fist in frustration. If the man took one more step forward he figured he could strike him with the door if he managed to open it fast enough. 

 

"Get in," David said from the driver side, causing Elijah's head to whip around. The man was already climbing into the car and Elijah heard the door behind him yanked open.

 

"No!" he cried, reaching for David in a desperate, confused gesture. The man easily, gently pushed him back as he pulled the door shut. There was another slam of a door closing behind him and Elijah's heart raced. Everything was falling apart. Nothing was supposed to be happening this way. He had brought the Beast back to fight David. Now David was going to be the one to escape. "No!" he repeated, feeling the rare sensation of panic overtake him.

 

His mind raced. He needed the Beast and David to confront each other. Only then would the world know, would the world see. "My- my mother!" he cried, lifting the phone and pointing to the feed. "Please, we can't leave her here!" David's eyes jumped to the tiny screen and Elijah knew he'd won. Once again, he was thankful for his mother. He owed her so much.

 

David's grip on the wheel tighten as he struggled against the inevitable. Elijah watched carefully, waiting to see if he needed to bait the hook more but no, David was truly the classic hero. With a heavy sigh, he pushed open the door. As he climbed out, he said to Joseph "Don't let him touch anything in the car. Take the phone from him. Break his arms if you have to." David gave Elijah a meaningful look, and then turned to run towards the front of the building.

 

Smiling, Elijah handed Daryl's phone back to Joseph and laced his fingers over his stomach. "David Dunn... a grade A action hero," he said in a delighted voice. 

 

* * *

 

The Beast was angry. They were all angry. Force once though, they were all yelling about the same thing. Everyone was in agreement, they needed to reach the girl. They needed to help the girl. Pressing his face against the shield directly in front of him, he roared once again and threw his weight froward and then quickly to the side. All together the group shuffled to the left as the soldiers struggled to remain connected, to prevent him from reaching past the edge of a shield and getting a handful of vulnerable flesh.

 

The girl was right there and he couldn't reach her and it drove him mad. Again a lunge and a feint and again, no progress. He could see the woman they hated standing further back and he wanted to reach her too. Wanted to smash and tear her the way he'd done several of these guards. Though the want was strong, it did not trump his need- their need- to reach the girl however and he continued to struggle.

 

When the strong man came running around the corner of the building, the Beast tried to redouble his efforts to break free. Snarling, he tried to draw back in order to lunge high over them but they advanced too quickly and he lost ground. Though the shields and over the shoulders of the soldiers crowding him, he watched as the man leaned down to carefully collect a body from the ground. The Beast frowned, confused by that, and again the soldiers managed to force another step backwards from him.

 

Scrambling against the shields with hands covered in blood that was not his own, the Beast watched as the man turned to carry the body away. He was going to leave, to escape. The broken one would be disappointed in him. He was going to fail their cause. A baton came down hard on his head and before he could grab it or the hand that held it, the wall of shields had closed up once again and he found himself another step back. "Protect!" he called out, desperate. He may fail the cause, but he could not fail her. "Protect her!"

 

The strong man paused and then turned back. The sight of him was obscured briefly as the soldiers continued to shift and press at him, trying to force him back further.

 

 

* * *

 

 

David looked down at the unconscious woman in his arms and then over to the girl collapsed at the foot of the stairs. He briefly felt a stab of shame, having forgotten about her in the mad rush to try and get Joseph to safety. Looking around now he saw that the Beast had the attention of all the guards, though David wondered how many more lurked about the building. Every second Joseph sat in the car with Elijah was risk he didn't want to take, but he realized it was one he had to. 

 

Stepping forward, he shifted his hold of Elijah's mother to free up an arm and then paused. Across the parking lot stood Dr Staple. She'd apparently been motionless, watching everything unfold but the moment he looked at her she turned and began to run. Cursing, David went from considering two different courses of action to three. His easy escape with Joseph was quickly disappearing.

 

The snarling and violent impacts of the Beast railing against the soldiers continued, and sparing a glance in his direction again David could see it wasn't going well. The soldiers appeared to be forcing the man towards the side of the building, towards one of the windows and David could well guess what might be on the other side of it. They had a long way to go however and David doubted the Beast would be contained long if he had a wall to escape up. His three possible plans unravelled into too many options and he sighed heavily, again looking at the woman in his arms and then down to the girl at his feet.

 

Moving further away, he carefully laid Ms Price down again and approached the guards. It was clear they weren’t going to win this and David didn’t have time to wait around till the inevitable happened. So focused were they on the Beast, none of them turned to look at him till he finally tapped the centermost one on the shoulder. When the soldier did turn, David punched them square in the jaw and face mask or no, they went down. He quickly stepped back as the line of soldiers was broken and the Beast cracked the group in two figuratively before he began to literally break several of them. Though the sight was horrifying, David found it difficult to have much sympathy for them. 

 

David shook out his hands, preparing himself for this. He couldn't just run, the Beast would only give chase or, worse yet, go back to the same old hunting. This had to end now, before it could escalate further, before it could spill out and reach the opening ceremonies for the Tower. At least the Beast looked more weary than he had on the roof while David felt somehow invigorated, the possibility of escape now so close it seemed to give him a second wind. David raised his fists, exhaustion still at the edges but knowing he had no other choice, as the Beast managed to finally break past the final riot shield and silence the remaining soldier.

 

Rising up, dripping in a fresh coating of blood, the Beast's shoulders heaved with his panting breaths. He'd tipped his head again, eyeing David carefully as he pulled back his lips in a bloody grimace or smile or threat display, it wasn't clear, only disturbing. It was then that Joseph came sprinting around the corner of the building. 

 

The Beast's attention was immediately redirected towards Joseph and he growled as the young man ran straight up to the fallen figure of Casey. Joseph immediately dropped to his knees next to her and raised his hands in a placating gesture. The Beast moved, rushing to her side and David sprinted over as well though drew up short when he realized the Beast simply hovered. While David knew he could certainly use the advantage of landing the first blow, he was reluctant to start a fight so close to someone injured.

 

"She needs a doctor," Joseph said loudly, hands hovering over the girl as he looked up to the Beast. "She needs a doctor. Right now. Or she's going to die." The Beast hissed furiously at this, dropping into a crouch next to them but still not raising a hand to strike his son. "She- She lost a lot of blood. And- And look." Carefully, Joseph lifted the girl and rolled her slightly to reveal her back. "S-See? The, ah- the bullet is still inside her. She needs a doctor to get the bullet out." The Beast seemed to flex and strain, twisting his neck. He collapsed to the side slightly as Joseph repeated. "Right now. She needs a doctor. Right now."

 

David held his breath as the man scrambled back upright. "No no no no," he cried frantically, reaching out to place his hands on her arm. "No, she needs to be ok," the Horde said emphatically, looking between Joseph and David with a fearful expression. "We gotta' get her to a doctor! You guys!" 

 

Letting out a breath, David unclenched his fists and took a step away. Raising a hand to his mouth, he closed his eyes and allowed himself a moment to just breath. The problem was far from over but David knew there was no way he was fighting someone who thought they were nine. Looking back up and around, he scanned the grounds for Dr Staple but she was no longer in sight.

 

"If you could- yes, just-" David glanced back to see Joseph helping the man lift Casey into his arms and he pressed his lips together in frustration. Joseph had convinced the man the girl needed a doctor immediately, which meant they wouldn't be sparing the time to track down Dr Staple now. He didn't know what he'd do with the woman if he got his hands on her, beyond just getting at least one hand on her, but he was certain letting her slip away now would haunt them. 

 

Moving now to the fallen Ms Price, he scooped the woman into his arms and waited as the other man struggled to his feet. That he should be able to easily lift the girl given that the destruction he'd just wrecked on the soldiers didn't seem to matter, he still teetered unsteadily like a youth struggling with a heavy load. The Horde licked his lips nervously and then nodded his head and David followed behind has Joseph lead them back towards the car. 

 

There was some hesitation when they reached the vehicle. Elijah watched nearly bug-eyed as the three men awkwardly negotiated the seating situation. Joseph slid into the back while the Horde happily settled in on the other side with Casey on their lap. A gently groaning, though slowly awakening Ms Price was wedged between them.

 

"We're going to a hospital," David said, looking straight ahead after climbing into the driver's seat.

 

"Like hell you are!" Elijah protested. "Nobody is going to a hospital. Or the police." David turned towards him an raised an eyebrow. "You're just as 'escaped patient' as I am," he snapped, settling back in his seat. "If the girl's hurt, I can help." Twisting to look over his shoulder into the back seat, Elijah nodded to himself. "She doesn't look to bad. I can handle it."

 

"We have to get her to a hospital right now!" the Horde shouted in a childish lips, arms wrapped protectively around the girl. David clenched his jaw and felt a muscle there tick. He didn't like the way the man was touching the girl but they were all in a car together now and it wasn't the right time or place to start fighting again.

 

"Hedwig," Elijah said, his tone and posture changing so suddenly that David turned to watch in surprise. "Hedwig, we brought the medicines for this, remember? Patricia packed the bag for us. We're going to take care of Casey. Casey will be safe with us. We're going to take care of her." The gentle repetition of words and assurance that it would be all right calmed the man and he settled down, chin resting atop the unconscious girl's head.

 

"We're taking her to a hospital-" David started to say when he felt a hand on his arm.

 

"Dad, I don't think that's safe. Those guys-" Joseph looked between Elijah and David, fear and concern clear on his face. "Who were those guys?" David turned back to Elijah and looked pointedly at the man, bracing for a lecture or monologue. 

 

"I don't know," Elijah eventually and most reluctantly muttered. "But if they came for us here, they'll surely come for us- you at a hospital. But could we please not talk about this here?!" He gestured to the hospital grounds and the three fallen soldiers not far from the car.

 

With a heavy sigh, David shifted the car into gear and started to drive around the building. Expecting at any moment more soldiers to pour out of some hiding spot and swarm them, he gripped the wheel tightly and scanned the grounds. This was how the spot of soft blue peeking through one of the shrubberies caught his attention. He shifted the car back into park.

 

"You can help the girl?" David asked, eyes continuing to scan the grounds. "It's not life threatening?" Elijah pursed his lips for a moment before assuring him and everyone else in the car that everything would be fine.

 

"Good," David said, reaching for the door handle. "I'll only be a moment."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shame on me for leaning on the crutch of "they're passed out." Shame. For the record, don't move people with head injuries!! 
> 
> Would be curious on people's take on the action scene writing. While _I_ can clearly see in my mind's eye exactly what's going on, I'm wondering how clearly I'm conveying it... It feels like a delicate balance between describing everything "I see" and keeping the story pace moving forward as rapidly as the emotions/action demand it....


	5. It's only a fair game if the probability distribution is evenly weighted

Her cheek felt sticky and the first thought Casey had was a worry that she'd drooled in her sleep. Her second thought was concerned with the shooting pain in her shoulder followed closely by the stomach churning ache in her head. Blinking her eyes, she started to raise her head and froze when she felt arms come up to encircle her. Her seat shifted below her and she realized she was sitting in a lap. The Beast's lap in fact.

 

"Hey guys! Guys! I think Casey's waking up!" In Hedwig's lap, she corrected herself. And it appeared Hedwig was in a car. The pain in her head pulsed with every heartbeat, radiating outward from the back of her skull and applying fantom pressure all the way around to her temples. It made thinking a little hard and the idea of raising her head to look around rather unattractive. Instead she allowed herself to relax against the his chest, sticky as it may be. The feeling of his hands on her would have been overwhelming if her body wasn't already swamped with a different set of feelings, far more unpleasant, that demanded her attention.

 

"Casey?" A tentative male voice spoke her name and she didn't know who it was. Swallowing, Casey squeezed her eyes shut and turned her head slightly towards Hedwig, not wanting to face what was happening quite yet. The gentle rise and fall of his chest calmed her, though there was a hitch to it as she raised a hand to rest on an encircling arm.

 

The car turned some corner and Casey could feel herself, Hedwig, and yet another body pressed against her back lean slightly to the left before settling back. She was in a car, sitting in the lap of a shirtless Hedwig, and they were not alone. The memory of the morning creeped up upon her and she shivered despite the impressive warmth radiating from the man wrapped around her. Like shuffling through a stack of photos, fragments of what had happened flashed behind her closed eyes and she felt the prickle of panic. Breath coming a little more rapidly, her grip on Hedwig's arm twitched and tightened and she carefully turned her head even further as if she could just bury herself in the man's protective embrace and escape it all.

 

"How's your head?" a voice she definitely didn't recognize asked from the front passenger seat. Hiding behind her curtain of hair, Casey opened her eyes and wished she hadn't. The sticky feeling against her cheek was blood, she realized now, and she could see that it wasn't just Hedwig who was covered in it. The cardigan of her injured arm, cradled between them, was soaked through with it down to the elbow and everywhere that she'd pressed against the man had picked up a red tinge- staining the beige out of her sweater, turning the purple in the pattern black.

 

She licked her lips and then gagged when she tasted copper. Blood, that was the taste of blood and she didn't think it was her own. Her breathing was ragged now and she trembled as adrenaline began to seep into her system. "It- It hurts," she mumbled. Squeezing her eyes shut, she released Hedwig and brought a hand to her mouth, scrubbing at it.

 

"Nausea? How's your vision? Is there any ringing in your ears?" The older, male voice seemed almost bored as he rattled off a quick series of questions. She could tell there were other people in the car but they were silent as they continued to drive towards who-knew-where.

 

"I... I feel a little sick," she said, swallowing thickly. Her head did throb and her stomach seemed to turn in relation to it, but the lingering taste of copper in her mouth was by far the most upsetting thing at the moment.

 

"Uuuuugh, are you going to throw up?" Hedwig asked nervously, his hands shifting as he squirmed below her. She thought about shaking her head, but the thought just made her stomach churn more.

 

"Hedwig, hold still," the voice instructed before Casey could ask the same. The man below her continued to shift uneasily and the speaker sighed. "Hedwig, could you please let someone more responsible into the Light? Patricia-"

 

"No!" Came the sudden and forceful reply from several individuals in the car at once, Casey included. Now that she was more alert, she realized it had been Joseph who had spoken to her when she'd just woken up and that David's voice came from the driver's seat.

 

"Jeeze..." Hedwig muttered, and Casey again closed her eyes to rest against his chest. A suggestion sat on the tip of her tongue but she remained silent. Drawing a deep breath, chest swelling and lifting Casey's head slightly, Hedwig held still for a moment before letting it out with a loud exhale. The tension in his body changed and she could feel subtle shifts in his posture as someone else claimed the Light. The hands upon her lifted and then carefully settled on her again, the one resting on her arm stroking her lightly.

 

"C- Casey?" a tentative voice asked and the hand stilled. She could feel his chin brush the top of her head as he clearly looked around. "What's going on?" Kevin asked. A feeling of relief arose at the question, forcing back some of the fear. At least she wasn't the only one completely confused.

 

* * *

 

Elijah pursed his lips, unhappy with the Horde's choice of replacement. He wanted to know which one it was, but knew that came second to addressing the primary issue. "We're going towards the safe house you told us about," he said, trying to keep a calm and pleasant voice. "Do you remember anything about it?"

 

"Wh- About what?" the man looked rapidly between David and Elijah, sparing a quick glance for the other two back seat passengers before looking in concern back at them again. "... who are you?"

 

The question was reasonable and he clearly addressed everyone in the car, though no one spoke for a very long moment. Elijah knew the situation was tenuous and wanted to see how it unfurled. Hedwig had seemed familiar enough with David and easy enough for Elijah to control that there had been very little explaining done on anyone's part.  The questions had been avoided up until now, aside from the basic of 'where to go', easy enough answered by the Horde's planning prior to capture.

 

From Elijah's point of view, things could only go up from here. His plans for the most part seemed to be in tatters, the only gains so far being some impressive, but not unnaturally so, footage of David and the Horde fighting guards and his freedom. While he appreciated the later, he'd been willing to sacrifice it and more to achieve more ideal results of the former.

 

"Ms Price. Dana Price," his mother said, unsurprisingly the first to break the ice. She awkwardly held up a hand and Kevin struggled to reach and shake it, careful of jostling the girl in his lap overly much. The car was cramped in the back seat and the gesture had many elbows going every which way. Joseph raised a hand, declining to shake, and introduce himself. Elijah smoothly followed and there was a pause before David simply recited his name, seemingly not taking his eyes off the road.

 

David turned another corner, slowing down as he carefully peered at the street sign. It'd been knocked askew and fit perfectly on the empty back road they drove down. They'd been driving amongst a collection of extremely shady or abandoned lots for the last five minutes. With a sigh he eventually just let the car roll to a stop. "I'm going to need better instructions," flexing his hands he looked over at Elijah. "Either we find this spot in the next five minutes or we're going to the hospital, I don't care how many of us get arrested."

 

"She's awake, she's fine-" Elijah started to argue while in the back Casey asked what he meant.

 

"I- I don't think we should go to a hospital right now," Casey added, pushing herself off Kevin's chest slightly, turning slowly and peeking at him through her hair. Elijah smiled and gestured back to her.

 

"See? The girl's fine, and there's nothing but ice and time to help with your nose," Elijah directed the comment towards his mother who nodded cautiously in agreement, gaze locked on David. He wanted to assure her that it was all going to be alright, but they'd long ago agreed to have a relationship based on honesty. "But you're right, David. We need to know where the safe house is, exactly. And it seems you can't help with that, can you, Kevin?" Elijah smiled back at the man. He of course knew they were three blocks off, but he also knew his odds of anything resembling success were improved if a more sympathetic alter was in control.

 

Kevin licked his lips and looked nervously down at the girl he held and then back to Elijah. "No... I-"

 

"I think we need one of the Horde," Elijah explained. "One of the original Horde, that is," he hastened to add, not looking forward to fending off the enthusiasm of Luke. "Perhaps-"

 

"No," Kevin stated firmly. Before Elijah had the chance to try and further argue with him, he saw Casey lean back against the man's chest. The way her hand moved up his arm gave Elijah reason to pause.

 

"Kevin," she said softly, though audibly to all in the now parked car. "My arm does hurt- please, if we could just talk to them for a moment..." The minx went so far as to run her hand up and down the man's arm and Elijah was surprised by how effective such an obvious move was. That Casey would so quickly try and bring forth one of the Horde was interesting to note and that she was so effective at it important to remember.

 

The man tensed up and then drew a breath in sharply through his nose. He looked around in a panic for a moment, clearly overwhelmed by the setting, the bloody state he was in, and the girl perched in his lap. There was a strangled sound and Elijah almost worried he's leap from the car and flee. Though it was obvious to him, Joseph and David didn't seemed to react much till Casey confirmed who it was when she whispered the man's name.

 

Dennis audibly held his breath for a long moment and Elijah interrupted before the drama could play out further. "Dennis, where exactly did you say the safe house was? Can you guide us there?" David's hands flexed on the wheel but when the man stammered out directions the car rolled forward and they soon pulled up alongside an old, much abused looking building.

 

The moment the car stopped, Joseph threw open the door and flung himself from the vehicle. His mother slide out in a calmer, smoother motion and Elijah noted in the side mirror that the young man did at least reach to help her from the car. The last four however remained seated for a moment. Elijah obviously wasn't going anywhere and Dennis seemed trapped in place though neither he nor the girl moved to open the door. David's hands on the wheel continued to flex, and it was clear he was watching the two in the rear view mirror.

 

Unlike Kevin or even Hedwig, Dennis kept his hands off the girl, clearly raising them the moment there was space to dramatically do so. From the furrow between his brows and pronounced frown, Elijah figured he and David were having a stare down via the mirror. The tension in the car was mounting and the threat of impending violence nearly palpable. By the numerous broken windows up and down the street and the tipped dumpster across the way, Elijah realized there would be no witnesses to such an confrontation.

 

"Casey, can you walk?" he asked, trying to remind both men that now was not the time. From the sharp inhale by Dennis, he assumed the girl was shifting about and she did finally reach forward to open the door.

 

"I- I don't know. I still feel... not good," was her reply and he appreciated that she too seemed to be trying to keep the peace. Intentional or not, the wobbly note to her voice clearly captured Dennis's attention. She started to slide off the man's lap and out of the car when his arms quickly came up to wrap around her.

 

"No, Casey," Dennis rumbled, swinging his legs out as he held her close. "You've lost a lot of blood, you'll fall over if you try to stand." His hold on the girl shifted as he pushed himself out of the back seat, now carrying her in his arms as if she weighed nothing.

 

David glanced over at Elijah, hands still gripping the wheel. "My chair is in the trunk," Elijah said with a smile.

 

"I know," muttered David. It seemed like it took effort to release the wheel.

 

* * *

 

The trunk popped open and raised at a leisurely pace. Dr Staple's wide-eyed gaze met his and she trembled as David reached passed her to wrestle the chair from the trunk. With a heavy sigh, he easily hauled the thing over to the passenger door, going so far as to unfold it but relieved to hand it over to Elijah's mother for the actual transfer.

 

It ate at him to chauffeur around these two men who just hours ago had confessed to planning mass murder and destruction. He knew Elijah was insane, it wasn't really surprising that nineteen years locked away hadn't improved anything. They'd come back for him however, and there was no denying that their assistance was the only thing that had kept him, and more importantly, Joseph alive. Moving back to the trunk, he stared at the woman cowering up against the back seats. They'd duct-taped her mouth shut, her wrists behind her back, and her ankles together but David still felt uneasy.

 

"Grab the bag back there," Elijah called as he settled into his chair. "It has the supplies I'll need to help the girl."

 

David sighed and again, reached passed the woman to haul out the bag the man had taken with him from the hospital. Dr Staple blinked at him and made a muffled sound. Tears clearly stood in her eyes but David just shook his head. Setting the bag aside, he reached forward and pulled the woman towards him. There was another, more frightened muffled sound as David re-inspected the bindings. He could tell the Horde stood behind him, watching.

 

"What'd you bring her for?" the man eventually asked as David pulled another length of tape from the spool. The doctor hadn't made any progress on her bonds but he wasn't going to take any chances. He might not be able to exactly contain or restrain the two threats of Elijah and the Beast, but he was going to do everything in his power to make sure this one didn't cause any more problems.

 

"How else are we going to figure out what's going on?"  David asked, shoving the spool into Elijah's bag and easily dragging the woman out of the car. While Casey was carefully cradled in the Horde's arms, the girl's good arm arm resting lightly on the man's shoulder, David opted to simply toss Dr Staple over his shoulder, fireman style. Grabbing the bag in his free hand, he managed to wrestle the trunk closed once more and then gestured for the Horde to lead the way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sigh, I'm a little sad. I so vividly had this mental picture of David closing the trunk on a still-bound Dr Staple but then I realized I put them in a hatchback and anyway, when would they have gone back to pick her up again? The danger of posting as I write... oh well, keeps me from dragging my heels.


	6. In a coordination game, players choose the same or corresponding strategies on whether to choose heads or tails, A or B

Elijah smirked as David's struggle was written clear across his face. Again his gaze jumped from the Horde to Joseph, to the woman's calves that he gripped tightly, and then back to Elijah. They'd done the circuit one already and it seemed like he'd repeat the gesture.

 

"Ever heard about the time a fox, a chicken, and a sack grain of grain crossed a river?" He asked in a teasing tone of voice, to which David just responded with a mildly disgusted and confused expression. Dennis also furrowed his brow at the comment, contemplating it while Joseph let out a nervous laugh and his mother smiled for the first time since this madness began.

 

"I'll keep watch over her inside," his mother said gently to David, nodding up the stairs. "Your son can watch mine while we get settled in. I'm sure you'll accomplish nothing nefarious while we're away, will you?" She smiled at Elijah indulgently but he heard the real question beneath it. Shaking his head, he laced his fingers over his chest and settled back in his chair with exaggerated comfort. 

 

"No no, don't mind me. I'd appreciate the moment alone to recall the medical texts I've read." He glanced over to Joseph and then back to David again. "Besides, our phones are gone and you've got my bag of tricks. What harm could I possibly get up to in so brief a moment?" David's response to that was just to roll his eyes and accept that there would be no better solution.

 

As David turned to go, Elijah caught sight of the doctor's face, draped as she was over the man's shoulder. As he'd expected she looked far too calm given her current circumstances. He frowned and tried not to let the thought distract him. He needed to repair the girl first and foremost, quite certain that if anything bad happened to her it would echo out tenfold for the rest of them. They were all together performing a balancing act and it seemed like no one else but the women were helping. Suppressing a sigh, he just smiled as the two men briefly negotiated who was to go first and then, carrying their respective burdens, headed up the rickety stairs. His mother trailed behind after offering him a final, tight smile.

 

Leaning against the brick wall next to the entrance, hands shoved in pockets, Joseph asked "Wait, so who's the fox and who's the sack of grain?"

 

* * *

 

The tension that gripped Dennis's body and locked his arms in their ridged hold on her was impressive. Twice she caught him glancing down at her only to have him look away the moment their eyes met. Since it seemed to distress him when it happened, Casey opted to look past his shoulder instead, watching the lumbering form of David and trying to peer past him to the neatly dressed older woman.

 

When they'd all piled out of the car, Casey had finally recognized the man in the passenger seat and she'd felt an intense curiosity overtake her. Elijah Stanley Price aka Mr Glass. Casey had been only vaguely familiar with the string of domestic terrorism attacks that had locked him up as long as she'd been alive, but she'd come across the man in the weeks since her encounter with the Horde. 

 

At first she'd tried to read up on paranormal things, reports from scientists, and blogs dedicated to things like alien encounters or government conspiracies. None of those had paid off and she'd been unable to muster the nerve to talk to her science teacher about any other leads that might be useful. Everyone at school already treated her differently since the kidnapping, the last thing she'd wanted was anyone thinking she'd lost touch with reality. After her meeting with Hedwig though, she'd gotten a new idea. She'd visited a number of comic book stores and stumbled across old blogs devoted to the infamous Mr Glass and his weird ideas. She'd been surprised that, knowing what she knew, it did sort of make sense.

 

The old woman caught her staring and Casey immediately ducked her head, embarrassed. Everyone here was weird, it was rude to single anyone out, Casey figured.  If anything, she was embarrassed to be caught staring at the more normal person in the room.

 

Dennis soon reached a door and for a moment seemed inclined to try and awkwardly shuffle his hold on her before Casey just reached out and opened it for them. Pausing for a moment, Dennis muttered a thanks and stepped into the large space. It looked to be a factory, with all the extensive machinery ripped out leaving walls and supporting structures standing here and there in odd places. Casey craned her neck and looked at the disturbingly high ceiling as Dennis lead them to a small stack of boxes.

 

He carefully leaned her against a wall before moving to silently help David establish what they both felt were adequate restraints on the doctor. The woman made some muffled protests which Casey easily ignored. Eyes closing, she let the throbbing pain in her arm sort of fill her senses for a moment.

 

"Here, now," Elijah's mother said to her, reaching out to offer a steadying hand. "I think I saw a table over there, we could settle you on that. Strange, yes, but better than this floor, hmmm?" She smiled warmly at Casey and the girl felt herself embarrassed almost by her good manners and thoughtfulness.

 

"Th- thanks," she mumbled. "I'm- ah- I'm Casey Cooke," she said, which was probably obvious but she thought it'd be rude to just assume and not introduce herself.

 

"Dana Price," the woman said, jokingly giving her good hand a little shake, which turned into a guiding and supporting gesture as she lead the girl over to what had once been a workbench. Casey had barely started to lift herself up onto it when Dennis popped around the corner, looking almost frantic. Seeing her, he nervously ran a hand over his head and looked away, as if he were still scanning the warehouse for something. Casey smiled warmly at him and then her smile faltered as he blinked rapidly and seemed to wilt slightly. Kevin looked over at her with sad blue eyes as he stepped closer, gripping her hand. Dana simply stepped to the side, the ghost of a smirk there and then gone when Casey looked back to her.

 

"I'm guessing you can... manage?" David asked cautiously, hand on the doorway, ready to descend the stairs again. "For a moment? Just... nobody do anything... ok?" He gave them all an almost pleading expression before thundering back down the steps.

 

Casey couldn't help but feel her lip twitch as Kevin clearly noticed Ms Price's dramatic arm crossing. The woman leaned against the counter, staring blatantly at him as he held Casey's hand. "Don't mind me," she said dryly. "I'm just waiting till Elijah gets up here."

 

* * *

 

"And I'm saying I need her help," Elijah sighed, extremely irritated to be already facing pushback at his every request, no matter how reasonable.

 

"No," both men replied, answers slightly staggered and they both glanced at each other as if surprised the other's opinion mattered at all. Kevin stood, arms crossed and clearly fighting an urge to shiver as he continued to drip water. The Horde had clearly understood their Beast well, the supplies well provisioned to deal with the degree of cleanup that he required. The towels packed however had all been donated towards the girl's care however and so he stood, not quite shivering and dripping wet.

 

"I'll help," David muttered, knowing full well Joseph wouldn't be able to stomach the sight of it and the man's mother sat with an icepack held to her face.

 

"I'll help," Kevin snapped, turning to glare at David. "Who the hell are you? I mean- other than 'David' and, yes- the fact you stopped Them." He quickly waved his arm, trying to get past any obvious responses, Casey having apparently brought him up to speed in the time it took the Dunn's to help him and his chair up the stairs. While it was such a do-good-ery act that he couldn't attribute much to it, Elijah did find himself mildly unease with the fact he was now effectively trapped here till someone kindly assisted him back down the stairs. The thought of stairs made him the muscle in his eye tick and he instead refocused on the matter at hand. 

 

"This is a serious issue, and I need someone I can trust. Patricia has already proven that she can handle this. I don't want someone with lesser... self control to flip out and accidentally invoke the Beast, alright?" Elijah asked, raising his voice with the inflection and making it clear that the two men were fools if they didn't listen to his reason. "And David, I think the last thing either of us needs is for you to watch me do this."

 

Muttering under his breath, David turned sharply and stalked back towards the other half of the warehouse where the supplies and Dr Staple sat. Thankfully Kevin gave in about just as easily and Elijah appreciated Patricia's help as they cleaned up as best they could in preparation for the work at hand.

 

* * *

 

The scream that tore through the warehouse had everyone running to the makeshift operating area.

 

Turning the corner, David found the girl wrapped again in the Horde's arms as she seemed to sob uncontrollably. From the concerned expression and angry glares sent in Elijah's direction, David revised his take, realizing it probably wasn't one of the Horde at the moment. As the man murmured calming words and stroked the girl's hair, David got it the impression it was likely the Kevin guy again. Elijah, for his part, sat in his chair looking irritated, bloody scalpel held in one hand, the fingers of his other hand also bloody and held off to the side, away from his body. He looked over as the others crowded at the edge of the space and sighed.

 

"I told her she'd want the anesthetic," he said with a casual shrug. The girl seemed to be trying to get herself under control, the sobs ending abruptly as she clearly tried to calm her breathing. 

 

"You didn't have to be so cruel about it," Kevin muttered, releasing the girl when she gently pulled away. Scrubbing at her face with a hand and then a towellet when Kevin handed one to her, she now looked almost embarrassed. 

 

"I'm sorry," she mumbled, "I thought... I thought I could handle the pain ..."

 

Elijah scoffed and gestured for her to return to the makeshift operating table before him. "You're not one of us, child, there's no need to put up a front. Now if you'd excuse us?" Elijah added to the group of gawkers. As the girl moved back towards the table, Joseph made a strangled sound and was quickly hauled away by a scolding Ms Price. 

 

David lingered, less concerned about the girl's state of undress and more disturbed by the myriad of scars that seemed to cover her torso. They looked old, older than a month at least, and he compressed his lips into a thin line to avoid making a comment. His company was clearly not appreciated but when Elijah spoke, it was to Kevin and not him.

 

"If you please, I'd prefer Patricia's help again." The man hesitated before nodding and David felt his skin crawl as the man relaxed his posture. Briskly, the new alter began to pick up several items that must have been knocked about during the girl's reaction. She, he felt weird thinking of the man that way but to not do so would have been stranger, shot David a sharp look as she fetched the bag of supplies and held it open for Elijah to inspect. 

 

Explaining what he needed but keeping his hands held off to the side, Elijah also watched David. Pulling a bottle and needle out, Patricia went about following the man's instructions though the girl pulled away when she leaned in to administer the shot.

 

"Now take what Mr Glass recommends or I'll be forced to restrain you while he works," Patricia said in a voice that made it clear which outcome she'd prefer.

 

David pointedly crossed his arms at this, tucking hands under biceps to add just the faintest bit of emphasis as he'd seen the Dennis personality do. Patricia spared him a withering glance and a snort of derision before turning back. Casey glanced at him for a moment as well but eventually she looked away. Licking her lips nervously, she nodded and watched the shot be administered before carefully laying back down before Elijah.

 

"Do either of you actually know what you're doing?" David couldn't help but ask as the man prodded the wound with his fingers.

 

"The vets would let me help them occasionally," Patricia said almost to herself, watching the young girl far too intensely for David's liking. When prompted by Elijah she pulled some gauze from its packaging and dabbed at the blood welling from from the injury. The girl caught David's eye again and held it as Elijah dug around in the flesh of her shoulder with scalpel and fingers. She occasionally winced dramatically in discomfort or unease but there was a notable lack of crying this time around. 

 

Eventually there was a soft ring of metal on concrete as Elijah fished the bullet out and simply tossed it onto the floor. Again Patricia handed him items as he asked for them, apparently fascinated by the sight of the girl's open wound. It took another ten minutes but Elijah leaned back in the end and declared it a success. He and Patricia worked together to clean the girl's arm as she shifted uneasily under their care. David cleared his throat pointedly when Patricia slid the girl's bra strap down in order to affix the bandage with several strips of medical tape.

 

Shooting him an angry look, Patricia clearly was about to say something when Elijah inquired as to how the girl was feeling and she shared her horror at having undergone such an experience. While this seemed only to amuse Patricia, David understood a hint and felt the threat had passed enough such that the girl's privacy trumped this need for caution. 

 

"I'm going to talk to Staple now," he added with a nod of his head back to the other space. Thankfully he didn't have to try harder to pry the Horde from the girl, the prospect of doctor proving to be an effective lure.

 

"Yes, let's," Patricia murmured, gliding past him as she abandoned the girl. David sighed now, still not sure how worried he should be about Elijah. That the man looked irritated was enough to make up his mid, and he ducked out of the room. 

 

* * *

 

"So," the man said, turning suddenly to face her. "Are you doing it intentionally, or accidentally?" 

 

"What?" Casey asked, recoiling from him slightly. Somehow the idea of this 'Mr Glass' poking at the meat of her arm was far less upsetting than the idea of him poking at her thoughts or motivations. She didn't understand what he was asking but she instinctively knew she didn't want him to know the answer.

 

"Controlling the Horde. Manipulating them," he tipped his head and brought together thankfully blood-free fingers to steeple before his lips. "What outcome are you trying to achieve?"

 

Casey shook her head, sliding off the workbench and moving to where she'd piled her shirts. "I- I don't know what you're talking about."

 

"Accidentally then?" he asked, sounding disbelieving. "Well then, be careful, child. That's... a complicated situation you're poking at and I don't-"

 

"He's not a situation!" she snapped, spinning to face the man, her top still gripped in now clenched fists. "It's not a fucking- situation. Or patient. Or pawn. He's a person!" She continued to glare at him for a moment longer before she tugged on her tank top, quickly returning to her glare the moment her head cleared the opening. "He's a person, and you all need to treat him like one."

 

"... or what?" the man asked, raising an eyebrow and smiling. "Is he 'just' a person... or is he perhaps more than a person?" He held up a hand to forestall her answer, nodding his head. "No, no, it's clear now, I understand. It's well known trope, I'm familiar with how-"

 

"I'm not a fucking trope," Casey muttered in disgust, her opinion of the man rapidly solidifying. "Dr Staple tried that on me as well and it's no better coming from you." Her statement seemed to intrigue him, but she didn't feel like he was listening to what she was trying to say.

 

"Speaking of which," he gestured after a tense moment, "After you. We're no doubt missing some exciting revelations."


	7. The prisoner's dilemma is a well known type of coordination game

Ellie watched the young man with a carefully held neutral expression, mindful not to stare at the scratches she'd left across the side of his face. While she'd initially suspected him vulnerable to the classic societal pressures, she'd clearly underestimated him once already. Given that Joseph alternated between staring at her in almost a panic and pointedly looking away, she doubted he knew his own mind any better than she did at this point. Such volatile actors always put her on edge. She didn't need to glance over at Elijah's mother again to know that was a lost cause, which was calming in a way. One less thing to worry about. Stifling a sigh, she shifted where she sat and flexed her fingers to keep the blood circulating. 

 

There'd been a brief moment when everyone had been distracted by the young girl's scream and Ellie had tried to make the most of the opportunity. She'd still been tugging and clawing frantically at the tape holding her wrists up when the two had returned and it'd only take a stern glance from the older woman to calm herself again. Now they just sat, her breathing again under control, as they presumably waited for the others to rejoin them. There was definitely the occasional murmur of voices too far away and too soft for her to follow along or even identify the speaker. If it weren't for the bitter tasting tape holding her mouth shut, she was certain she'd have been able to make good use of the time with Joseph. As it was, she'd spent the silence formulating her various responses and strategies to handle whatever happened next.

 

When the Horde stepped into her field of view, she felt the faintest twist of worry. This obviously was going to go better if David was present, and she relaxed a moment later as the man appeared behind what turned out to be Patricia's shoulder.

 

"I'd rather someone else help with this," David muttered as he stepped past Crumb and ripped the tape from her mouth with a viciously efficient pull. Ellie couldn't help but gasp in pain and her ears ran for a moment with the shock of it, missing Patricia's soft reply. Working her jaw, she drew a deep lung full of fresh air. Glancing between the two, she felt the beginning prickles of fear under Patricia's gaze.

 

Everyone in the Foundation knew that there were risks involved with their work. Ellie had always fervently proclaimed she was aware of them and willing to take them on, and while that was still true she couldn't help but want to cling to life. At least so far. Her mind shied away from the memory of the Roswell reports, it wasn't productive to dwell on the last time a Foundation member had fallen into the hands of the Altered. Her gaze jumped between the two unnatural individuals before her and she swallowed nervously, playing up her fear. If they thought her terrified and compliant, she might have a chance of escaping this mess with her life.

 

"Why didn't you shoot us?" Joseph asked, the desperate plea in his voice suggesting the question had plagued him for the last hour. Both Patricia and David turned to give the young man a hard look, neither appreciating his importance of asking the first question. "When we were at the hospital," he clarified hastily, as if that would lessen either's irritation. "Why didn't you just shoot us all?"

 

"They certainly shot at your father," she replied, injecting that distancing language right out of the gate. "But he clearly wasn't subdued yet. In cases of physically enhanced individuals they have found loved ones to be effective leverage in the past."

 

"And me?" Ms Price asked, her frown as pronounced as the swelling. Her black eye from the rifle butt had become increasingly visible in the hour or so that they'd spent squatting in this decrepit building. Usurpingly neither Patricia nor David seemed to mind her interruption as much. Dr Staple licked her lips, trying to note and retain as many details as she could. 

 

"Elijah was never deemed physically threatening and they quickly came to the conclusion that he'd overlook your well being in the grander scheme of things." Staring the woman dead in the eye, she was aware she wasn't fooling anyone with her use of 'they'. "Individuals like him often lose touch with reality and quickly devalue interpersonal relationships..... I hope you all realize you shouldn't trust him. He cares not at all about any of you, only his plans." She glanced around the group, trying to find someone she could work with.

 

* * *

 

Casey watched the man roll up to where the doctor sat on the floor, the conversation stalling out with his approach. She trailed several places behind, trying not to think about the dull ache radiating from her shoulder, knowing it was just going to get worse as the anesthetic wore off. David nodded to them both and she averted her gaze when Patricia turned to briefly stare at her. Mr Glass's words still echoed in her mind and she didn't like it. She wasn't manipulating them, she was just trying to help. Glancing back up, relieved to find Patricia's attention returned to the doctor, Casey couldn't help but wonder if maybe it was a little true. If she could manipulate Patricia into being less of a crazy bitch, she certainly would. She gave the idea cautious thought as Elijah launched his barrage of questions. 

 

Rather surprisingly the woman answered each and every one of them with a seemingly frank honesty that was almost disturbing. Surely she was lying, but the details of how many people were in her organization and the headless nature of authority and their long history perfectly with her description of her work and it was hard to guess where the truth ended and the lies began.

 

David stood by, giving Elijah time to hound the woman, silently watching and clearly waiting his turn. Joseph looked like he'd be sick while the enigmatic Dana Price simply watched the interview unfold with her ice pack casually held to her face. Patricia's mouth had turned down in a frown early on and she now stood, hands tightly clasped, practically vibrating with rage. Knowing a massive secret organization existed specifically to deny your existence and crush you before you could make a difference was understandably frustrating but Casey worried what would happen when she eventually lost her temper. The last time- second to last time she corrected herself- Casey seen Marcia, Patricia had worn a very similar expression. 

 

"I think we get the picture," David muttered eventually as Elijah drew a breath, another volley of questions clearly on the tip of his tongue. "All I'm hearing is that we're in trouble and I want to know how we're going to deal with it," David said, turning to survey everyone in the room.

 

Patricia, still seething, started to speak before she choked, clearly caught up in an internal struggle. There were several repeated 'No's in various voices as she- they staggered off to the side for a moment to resolve the situation. Tentatively, Casey followed, hovering for a heartbeat behind the twitching, muttering form before she reached out to lay a hand on the hunched, bare back. With the contact, they quickly straightened, sucking in a deep breath and holding it for a moment. When they eventually turned, it was Kevin who offered her a weak smile. 

 

"We're all freaked out," she whispered, giving his hands a gentle squeeze when he reached out to hold hers. Nodding, he swallowed and seemed to further get a grip on himself.

 

"Yeah... It's... a lot to take in. But I- I want to be the one calling the shots here." She nodded and they both stepped back towards the group.

 

Mr Glass, who of course had been arguing with David, fell silent at Kevin's return. He shot Casey a significant look, which she didn't appreciate, and repeated the point he'd been trying to make. "She's lying. We can't trust anything she says. Our best bet is to get rid of her and move on."

 

"Woah woah woah," Joseph cried, raising his hands and stepping up to more actively join the discussion. "Get rid of her?" He glanced between David and Kevin. "That's a euphemism, right? We're... We're not doing that- that sort of thing, are we? That's not who we are, is it?"

 

"You were prepared to shoot me to rescue your father, Joseph," the woman said in that horribly calm voice of hers. "Interesting that you'd draw the line here." Casey scowled at the woman, confused as to why she'd try to goad Joseph into agreeing with Mr Glass. The reminder that just an hour or so ago he'd been waving a gun about was also unwelcome. That her life had so quickly been upended was now nothing new, getting shot while visiting a psychiatric hospital registered lower on her scale of 'bizarre' than the kidnapping and confinement at the hands of the Horde. Her fate was again entwined with the Horde's and she secretly minded not at all. Joseph and his father however were another story. 

 

She understood abstractly that David had done a good thing by finding and freeing the girls that the Horde had been planning on feeding to the Beast, but she couldn't help wish that he'd perhaps handled the incident with a bit more care. Kevin had DID and the entire situation was quite complicated. She didn't think David and the hospital had given Kevin, or even the Horde, a fair chance. That the Beast had been able to escape wasn't surprising and frankly was the doctor's fault. 

 

"No one is killing anybody," Kevin said firmly, looking around the room. "But... I'm not going back to that hospital," he added, clearly glancing at David to see if they were going to have a problem. The man frowned and Mr Glass quickly added that he too was not going back.

 

"You are definitely going back," David muttered to the man in the chair. "I don't care what you say. You're a murderer and you're crazy. Either is enough to send you back."

 

"How could you do that, David?" Elijah asked, giving the man a hard look. "They already tried to fry my brain once already, did you know?" His eyes jumped to the doctor's and back. "The doctor tried to perform a little laser lobotomy on me, so terrified was she by what goes on in here." He tapped his head while Dr Staple frowned and averted her gaze, not refuting the accusation. It seemed like the woman was intent on simply ignoring everything the man was saying, possibly in the hope that everyone else would too.

 

"I'm not crazy, David," he continued, "I'm right. I'm just looking at the big picture. This isn't a fight between you and me or you and the Horde. This is... bigger than that. It's a fight for... existence. The truth. Our kind. People die in war. When the stakes are big enough, as they are now, we simply become accepting of the fact." There was a long and awkward silence following that statement. 

 

"Well I'll be going now then," Ms Price said, carefully laying the ice pack on the table and standing up. The statement seemed to come out of nowhere and everyone looked to the woman in surprise. 

 

"Wait, you're not going anywhere," David said in a firm voice, turning towards her but making no move to stop her.

 

"Oh?" Dana raised an eyebrow, picking up her coat. "And what is your proposal? You're three escaped criminal patients, a hostage, and a gunshot wound victim." She administered a stern look to each individual along with their labeling. "We need supplies, cash, and a form of contact with the outside world to know what's going on. I'll be right back," this she added specifically for Mr Glass, a concerned look briefly passing over her features. The man didn't seem to appreciate her sudden intervention, only frowning and turning away from his mother to instead scrutinize Dr Staple.

 

"How do we know-" David started to argue but fell silent for good when Dana cut him off again.

 

"You've my son. His fate clearly rests in your hands, and while it is there I shall do the best to provide and protect us all."  Casey was a little taken aback by Ms Price's wording, the steel in her voice quite clear. It clashed sharply with the fact that she was an old woman who'd been badly battered, the swelling of her eye and the discoloration surrounding it and the bridge of her nose was by now quite disturbing.

 

"But you're..." Joseph seemed likely to point out her face when the woman made her argument by simply staring at him hard enough to silence the young man. Gulping, he looked away and mumbled, "I- I should go too and-"

 

"And what, young man? Do you have extra funds to draw from? Emergency supplies stashed for this very purpose?"

 

"A-actually, yes," Joseph replied and both Ms Price and his father appeared more than a little surprise. "Well, I did," he corrected himself, ducking his head as a blush creeped up his neck, "but they were all stashed in the car. Back at the hospital." Ms Price's expression relaxed and it looked like this was more in line with the answer she'd been expecting.

 

"Well mine are at a safe place." Carefully dusting off the edge of her skirt, she picked her way over towards the steps, stepping neatly over the various detritus and debris littering the floor. "I'll only be an hour or two," she said before ducking through the doorway. The sound of her heels on the steps echoed through the empty warehouse as the group sat in silence for a moment.

 

* * *

 

Joseph watched the old woman's departure and felt a stab of shame at how unhelpful he was being. At least Casey had an excuse- getting shot certainly removed any expectations- but even still she seemed to be helping Kevin stay calm and stay himself. With Ms Price's departure a different mood settled over the group. They'd gone from scrambling to understand and react to waiting and having the faintest semblance of a plan. There would be supplies, money, and then.... Casey clearly was thinking the same thing because she turned towards Kevin.

 

"What happens next?" she whispered, setting off yet another argument. There was no going back for any of them. It was obvious but David still tried to raise the suggestion that Casey be returned to her foster family but everyone, including Joseph leapt to point out what a terrible idea that was. Dr Staple remained silent the entire time, watching the girl closely as they debated her fate. Casey looked rather creeped out by the woman's unwavering stare and Joseph didn't blame her. He frowned at the woman and Mr Glass eventually noticed as well.

 

"We should kill her-" the man started to say before Kevin interrupted him.

 

"Nobody is killing anybody. There's been enough death so far..." Kevin shook his head, looking a little stricken and then glanced down at Casey's hand, neither of them having let go of each other since the clasp had been established. Joseph thought it both weird and inappropriate but it was quite minor compared to everything that’d been going on today.

 

Mr Glass glared at Kevin and steepled his fingers. "If you'd let me finish? We should kill her, but I know none of you agree so we should do the next best thing and get rid of her. We should give her back to her people." The way he said this, with a faint little grin and dark enthusiasm suggested that he didn't believe such an exchange would go well for the doctor. 

 

"No," David said, shaking his head. "We let her go, yes, but there's no need to... give her to them specifically. That's a risk we don't need to take on." He shook his head. "I regret grabbing her now. I thought... knowing everything, anything... would help." The heavy disappointment in his voice made is clear how useful he'd found the details Dr Staple had spilled.

 

Mr Glass waved a hand dramatically before bringing his fingertips back together once again. "I think it's very important we hand her back. If nothing else, it'll be interesting to see who comes and picks her up?" He glanced over at David and arched an eyebrow, mischievous grin playing about his lips. The other man just shook his head and paced the room a bit. 

 

"No, Elijah. You just... you just want Kevin and I to fight, and if not each other than sort of security team." David sighed heavily, pulling up to a stop as he crossed his arms over his chest. "I haven't forgotten about that Osaka Tower idea of yours." Mr Glass was already shaking his head and Joseph braced himself for another wave of the madman's logic.

 

"You're missing the point of everything, David. I want more of us to be aware of who and what we are. I just though the two of you fighting would be the most effective way for people to believe. But perhaps... perhaps there's other ways we can convince them. Like, say, a video confession from a leading member of an organization devoted to our very existence." 

 

The man leaned back as everyone blinked in surprise at the sudden suggestion. The fact that it seemed kind of reasonable made Joseph rather skeptical on principle alone. He remembered how reasonable Elijah Price had sounded back when he had first met his father. "I would like to interview Dr Staple about this... situation," he continued, sounding pleased with himself. "And in the video I'll explain where and when we'll be handing off the doctor and then... we'll see." This was met with more blinking, no one feeling comfortable enough with the idea to actually say anything for a long while.

 

"I... don't understand why we don't just release the doctor," David eventually said, voice clearly strained. "But if you want to interview her, I won't object. I just don't want to see anyone get hurt," David sigh again, sounding defeated. “But I do agree, getting rid of her soon is a good idea.” Dr Staple seemed quite distressed by this plan and quickly tried to argue her point when it was clear she had an opening. Casey however had had enough and moved to struggle one-handedly with the duct tape roll. Kevin hurried to help her and no one protested when a healthy length of tape was re-affixed to the doctor's mouth. After she'd pressed the tape into place, pairing it with a stern look, Casey turned back to the room.

 

"So the plan is, what? To make a video and upload it to YouTube?"

 

* * *

 

Elijah's mom did eventually come back. Everyone acted like they weren't surprised, but Kevin at least had secretly been surprised. Very few people ever actually came back in his life. At least it had seemed that way. Ever since he'd reluctantly stepped back into the Light, Kevin was finding more support than he'd expected. That there was kindness still in this world surprised him, especially given even how fresh the taste of blood was in his mouth.

 

The woman had indeed brought supplies with her, most of the items were handed to her son, but she had picked up food and everyone but Kevin dug in with a ravenous hunger. Eying his burger, he took a tentative bite but his stomach churned as soon as he'd finished chewing and swallowing. Once again, he caught the Glass man staring at him, watching in a knowing way. Knowing that he didn't want to know, Kevin just set the burger back down and watched the group. That is, he tried to watch the group but his gaze kept drifting back to Casey.

 

Kevin wanted to stare at her, but knew it was rude. Still, he couldn't help but repeatedly steal a glance at this amazing young woman. Somehow, despite the fact the others had kidnapped her and held her for days... she'd come back to them. Of course just wanting to visit again didn't mean she'd intentionally signed up for this nightmare they found themselves in. He repeatedly reminded himself that all she'd meant to do was check in on them, that it was their fault- his fault that she'd been shot and her life upended. That he kept wanting to hold her hand, that he drew such strength from her being near was selfish, wasn't a fair burden to add to all she was already dealing with. 

 

Glancing again at the doctor, he shook his head and sighed before sharing with the group the idea he'd been struggling with, prior to once again getting lost in thoughts of the young woman. If he wasn't careful, he was going to end up like Dennis. "If you're going to untie her- untape her," he amended, "I... I think one of the Horde should be present. They're the most experienced with... this sort of thing."

 

David first finished chewing. "I think I can handle myself," he eventually replied in a mildly offended tone. "I know you're quite good in a fight, but I'm sure I can take on the doctor if she gets it into her mind to be troublesome." Everyone looked again at the woman in question. No one had offered her any of the food and she hadn't bothered asking for anything yet. Her ankles were neatly crossed, despite the fact she sat on the filthy warehouse floor, and the piping she'd been taped to looked sturdy enough but there was just something in her gaze that seemed to unsettle more than just Kevin. Everyone else aside from Joseph agreed more oversight would not be amiss. The young man just lightly touched the marks on his cheek and exchanged an unreadable look with his father. 

 

Turning to Casey, he hesitantly asked who she thought would be more helpful at the moment, Patricia or Dennis. It felt strange to query the girl for her first hand opinion on such things but he wanted to give her a chance to have some say in everything that was going on. As expected Casey hesitated a moment before whispering Dennis's name. Kevin was pretty sure Patricia would be more effective against the doctor but the girl clearly was not as comfortable with her around. With either of them around, with any of them around. He struggled to squash the unhelpful thoughts as he looked her up and down.

 

"I agree," he said, "but...umm..." He felt embarrassed to say anything but knew the issue would present itself one way or another. Casey stared at him with those wide eyes of hers and he felt tongue tied. "Ahh... If Dennis... then, um, you," she tipped her head slightly to the side and he felt himself starting to get flustered. "I think they brought some cloths for Patricia," he explained as Casey blinked in surprise, looking down at her torn and blood stained clothes. "Patricia says you probably shouldn't move your arm too much so maybe one of Hedwig's jackets?" he mumbled, turning to hurry over to the items his other personalities had stashed. 

 

It felt strange to be raiding supplies that had been meant to support the Horde's insane quest to feed and raise up the Beast. Casey appeared at his elbow and watched as he dug through the duffle bag. While Kevin had no problem with the state the girl was in, other than perhaps feeling a stab of guilt every time he glanced at the blood stains, he knew Dennis would just get them all in trouble pestering her about it if he saw her in such a state. Accepting the skirt and hoodie, she moved away behind a section of wall to change. In her absence, Kevin looked around and caught Mr Glass watching him. Again. The man seemed weirdly fixated on them both, sometimes staring just at her, and Kevin didn't like it. Dennis or Luke or someone else would no doubt confront him about it, say something about it, but Kevin just turned back to the duffle bag. He pulled out one of Dennis's tank tops and pulled it on just as the girl returned. 

 

She smoothed one of Patricia's skirts over a hip as she looked down, inspecting herself. When she glanced up, she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and smiled at him. "How do I look?" She asked in an almost playful way, holding her arms out and turning in a slow circle. Hedwig's hoodie had been zipped up, but not to the throat and Kevin almost asked her to close it up further. He didn't like the idea of that much skin with a hint of cleavage being visible when Dennis was around. "Will I pass the Dennis-level of inspection, do you think?" Facing him again, she tried to smile but was clearly nervous. He smiled back and clasped his hands behind his back. It'd be awkward to say anything about the zipper and even more awkward to just zip it up himself he decided as he intentionally kept his eyes on her face.

 

"I'm sure he'll find something to complain about," he said and then immediately regretted it when the girl paled. "I mean, he always complains. Don't- don't let it get to you. You're fine. Better, you're much better now. Than before." Nodding, he decided it would be best to stop talking. Excusing himself, he rejoined David as the man settled the doctor in one of the few chairs they'd managed to scavenge from elsewhere in the building. Joseph and Ms Price were fussing over a small camera while Mr Glass just sat and watched them all.

 

David scowled at him an and Kevin returned the look. "I still think you shouldn't... do whatever it is you're going to do," David muttered, crouching down to work the spool of duct tape around the doctor's ankles and the leg of the chair. "I don't like Dennis," he added, necessarily. The doctor looked down at the man crouched at her feet and then back up to Kevin.

 

"Kevin, you're sick, you need help-"

 

"Stop that. I might not be for killing you but I don't want- I don't want any more of your mind games, you hear?" He glared at her as David stood up and stepped back to examine his work. "Patricia and Dennis have told me about you, and on this I believe them. You- you keep trying to mess with my head and I might start listening more to Patricia's advice regarding you, ok?" Dr Staple looked sufficiently horrified at the thought and Kevin decided he was done dealing with her for now.

 

As Dennis adjusted to being in the Light, he felt rather overwhelmed. The large man they'd fought was standing next to him and he instinctively shifted his weight, settling into a more defensive position. It took effort not to clench his fists but he and Patricia had talked about this. Kevin wanted to work with these people and they both still wanted what was best for Kevin. If that meant cooperating with these people, for now, then so be it.

 

Looking around, Dennis felt a wave of relief wash over him at the sight of the girl standing not far off, blood free and in clean cloths. He was confused when a moment later he realized he recognized the clothes she wore. His confusion escalated as she approached. Glancing nervously to the man, David he recalled, next to him and then back to the girl, Casey, he held himself perfectly still.

 

"Dennis," she said, bobbing her head in a greeting. Given that he'd just carried her up the steps not to long ago, he didn't quite know what to say to her. Thankfully last time she'd been unconscious for most the encounter and when she'd awoken, quite groggy.

 

"Casey," was all he managed, before pointedly turning to keep an eye on Dr Staple. It was why he was here, why he'd been allowed time in the Light, and he didn't want to disappoint anyone. The doctor returned his cold look with an equally chilly one of her own. Joseph declared them ready not long after and Mr Glass rolled over to the woman.

 

Before they began filming, the man asked Dennis's advice on how the handoff should go. The Horde had made themselves familiar with the less populated parts of town in the last couple weeks so several suggestions were put forth, David chiming in some thoughts of his own.

 

Of course things didn't go smoothly. It took less than ten minutes for the woman to suddenly lash out and attempt to attack Mr Glass. Luckily Dennis had been expecting such an outburst, the tension around her eyes telegraphing the move long before she actually tried to strike. Even so, it was close. Dennis caught her wrist just in time, her clenched fist no more than an inch from Mr Glass's collar bone. There were multiple cries of shock from behind him and she'd of course lashed out with her other hand which Dennis had been forced to restrain as well.

 

Mr Glass appeared quite pleased and unperturbed by his near brush with danger. Collecting the woman's wrists into one hand, Dennis leaned forward and stared hard at her. "You do that again," he said in his deepest, most threatening voice, "and you're going to have a problem. Understand?" David had moved in to hover beside them but thankfully said nothing until Dennis, satisfied by the fear on the woman's face, pulled back.

 

"I think we should tape her arms to the chair," David suggested, hoisting the rapidly depleting roll. Dennis just shook his head, crossing his arms over his chest and watching the doctor with narrowed eyes.

 

"No, she'll behave now," he muttered and Mr Glass hurried to explain why the shot and the video would be ruined if she needed to be restrained for it. In the end there was no threat in the video, shown or suggested, towards the doctor. The woman did indeed behave and when Dennis watched the recording playback on the laptop Ms Price had retrieved, he was surprised by how uncoerced it appeared. All the coercion of course had happened off screen, mostly in the form of mild comments made by himself.

 

As the group collectively stood behind Mr Glass and watched as he worked, Dennis stole a glance over at the girl next to him. She stood so close, he had a hard time wrapping his mind about it. He was used to looking down at her, seated as she'd often been on the cots in their old apartment or as she'd knelt before him at the hospital. Dennis felt his mind skitter in the wrong direction with thoughts of the girl kneeling and he noticed that, standing so close, he could actually see down the front of her shirt. Of Hedwig’s jacket, that was. Unlike last time, she didn't appear to be wearing many layers.

 

It was almost as if she could sense him watching, the girl choosing that moment to look up at him. Inhaling sharply, Dennis dragged his eyes away from where he shouldn't have been looking and instead surveyed the warehouse they were in. When he eventually did glance back at her, he found Casey still watching him. Thankfully she didn't appear angry but he had a hard time imagining what other emotion she might be experiencing as she stared up at him with such a calm expression.

 

"Joseph?" She asked, not breaking eye contact. "You guys are done with the camera now, right?"


	8. If each player has chosen a strategy, and no player can benefit by changing strategies while the other players keep theirs unchanged, then the current set of strategy choices and their corresponding payoffs constitutes a Nash equilibrium

Her shoulder hurt. The ache had been slowly intensifying over the course of the evening but in the in the half hour it’d seemed to ratchet up past painful into unbearable. Unfortunately it was only now that everyone had settled down for the evening and Casey didn’t want to disturb the uneasy peace that had had been reached by everyone. Closing her eyes, she bit her lip as tears leaked down her cheeks. She felt her nose get stuffy and realized she was on the brink of a full blown crying fit. Next to her, Hedwig laughed loudly as he once again got to the part of the video where he danced. Casey managed to hide behind the curtain of her hair when Joseph looked over at them and she struggled to tamp down the pain, or at least keep it from her voice, when she scolded him, "Hedwig, it's getting late. People are going to try and sleep now, you need to be quieter." Without looking at her, he bobbed his head and his next snicker was notably lower in volume.

 

They were already off in one of the corners by themselves, blanket spread out on the floor not providing much protection from the cold concrete. The fact that the Dunns were in easy line of sight of them was sort of an unspoken requirement. David had been unhappy with the setup, with the choices, with the supplies, with the situation... the guy seemed to be unhappy about most things so Casey had found it pretty easy to disregard his protests of her sharing a blanket with the Horde. It wasn't like they were sharing a sleeping bag or anything, just a blanket and general space. 

 

Casey didn't know how long Hedwig would be in the Light, if he'd be the one sleeping tonight, but she suspected that if he was he'd try and snuggle up against her. During her time with them before he'd done so twice, both times proving to be harmless, relatively speaking. Given the creeping December cold, Casey wasn't that ashamed to admit she almost hoped he would do so again tonight. Then again, perhaps the cold would numb the pain in her shoulder. Dana had gone back out later to a thrift store and grabbed a pile of the cheapest, bulkiest coats for everyone and Casey winced as she struggled out of the one she currently wore.

 

"Hey- what- Casey, what are you doing?" Hedwig asked in a dramatic whisper, finally looking away from the video they'd filmed earlier. Catching sight of her red eyes, he gasped rather dramatically and shuffled about to sit more upright and huddle next to her. "You're crying! Why are you crying? We're not going to hurt you," he tried to assure her, sounding increasingly distressed himself. "I don't think you should take that coat off. Dennis isn't here, he won't yell at you about it- It's cold, you could get sick." He looked about frantically, presumably for help, as Casey just drew a deep breath and tried not to shiver. Shivering hurt, but everything hurt, and she could feel the cold start to reach her. Hedwig continued to whisper to her how she shouldn't be scared, how everything would be fine, how they were going to look out for her, how she should definitely put her coat back on. He tried to wrap one of the sleeping bags neither of them had yet to crawl into around her and she just waved him off. While she wanted the cold to numb her arm, she did appreciate him talking to her again.

 

In his fussing over her, he set aside the camera and Casey picked it up.  The idea to interview Dennis on camera had seemed a natural next step of Mr Glass's idea. Glass had even applauded the suggestion when she'd voiced it and had convinced Dennis to go along with the idea. While the man had obviously been reluctant, she was surprised by how much he'd opened up talking about the Beast. She'd found the experience fascinating and had been surprised by how disappointed she found herself when Hedwig interrupted them. Of course he was in some ways the better subject, his antics all high energy and ridiculous. Thumbing through the files and various recordings, she found herself getting lost reviewing the footage and failed to notice when his pestering dissipated. 

 

"What on earth are you doing, child?" Casey felt a chill that had nothing to do with the cold race up her spine as she turned to find Patricia frowning at her. Hedwig had laughed uproariously when he found her wearing his clothes. Given the cool once over Patricia gave her and and disapproving expression, she was not nearly as amused as he had been. 

 

"You're absolutely right, Hedwig," she added to herself, "thank you." Grabbing ahold of the coat, Patricia settled it firmly about Casey's shoulders again, or at least tried to, halting when Casey cried out in pain at the contact with her injury. Not bothering to ask for permission, Patricia brushed Casey's hair aside and tugged at the collar of the hoodie. The girl made a sound of protest and tried to defend herself as Patricia pulled the zipper lower and tugged it open to get a better look. 

 

"Stop that," she chided at Casey's objections and seemed to ignore the fresh tears that trickled down the girl's face. Gently probing the wound after peeling back the bandage, she made a thoughtful sound. "Hurts, yes?" Casey just nodded and scrubbed at her eyes and then nose with her sleeve. This inspired more tutting and Casey felt strong hands maneuvering her about as Patricia pulled her more towards the center of the blanket and then proceeded to wrap every item, blanket, sleeping bag, and spare scarf around her. Casey wasn't sure if she was trying to warm her up or just trying to prevent her from escaping. "I assume no one has given you anything for the pain?" she asked as she worked. Casey mutely shook her head and earned another disapproving sound. 

 

Standing up, Patricia surveyed her handy work. Apparently satisfied that Casey was soundly immobilized or at least warded against a chill, she instructed the girl not to move before briskly walking over to the far corner of the room.

 

* * *

 

Though she was seething with rage, Patricia kept an outwardly calm expression as she approached the Prices. She passed the doctor on her way over and had to suppress an urge to kick the woman. This problem with the child needed to be addressed immediately however and she would not let herself become distracted. The fact she was granted time in the Light at all had been a surprise and she wished desperately to prove to Kevin she too could be useful and trusted.

 

Seeing her approached, the whispered conversation between the two died down and Mr Glass asked in a friendly, though quite, voice, "Patricia? What can I do for you?" He obviously looked over towards the Dunns, but she refused to allow herself to be distracted. 

 

"Why have you not been tending to the child?" she hissed, the struggle to keep her calm as well as her volume down resulting in turning her voice harsher than she'd like. A carefully arched eyebrow, slow enough to suggest she was being irrational did not go unnoticed or unappreciated. 

 

"I thought you were handling her care? I didn't want to... interrupt."

 

Making a frustrated sound, Patricia glanced back at the girl to assure herself she hadn't moved. Joseph was apparently taking the opportunity to creep over to speak to the child and she appreciated it not at all. "Obviously Hedwig was with her, surely you understand that he can only be trusted so far. When myself or Dennis are not around I was hoping you could be the responsible one. Hopefully that's not too much to ask?"

 

His mother looked ready to protest but Patricia shot her a withering look. If the man was to constantly rely on his mother for defense she was certainly going to have to re-evaluation this partnership. Thankfully Elijah felt similarly and waved the woman to silence, then bid her to fetch his satchel. Dealing out a number of pills of various varieties, he handed them over and after a brief discussion Patricia stalked back to medicate her charge.

 

Joseph crouched next to the bundled and rather teary eyed Casey. Rather than make himself scarce at her arrival, the young man just glanced up at her and seemed to wait expectantly. The camera was held loosely in his hands between the two of them, a frozen frame of what may have been Dennis on the screen. Patricia frowned at the sight and Joseph quickly tucked the camera away and finally stood, perhaps realizing his company was not appreciated. 

 

"Some water?" She prompted him with and was relieved to see him make himself useful. Flashing a sympathetic smile to the girl, Patricia dealt out Casey several pills and then nodded encouragingly when Joseph offered one of the bottles Dennis had so thoughtfully stockpiled last week. 

 

Having freed one arm from her wrappings Casey looked quite ridiculous with her outstretched hand held open,  as if she expected more. For some reason the child seemed reluctant to take the medicine and with a sigh, Patricia hastily explained what they were and the various dosages. "Most importantly it'll help you sleep," she added in case it wasn't abundantly obvious enough.

 

"For how long?" Casey asked, tentatively swallowing the first. With an encouraging smile, Patricia waited until the rest went down her gullet.

 

"As long as needed. Don't fret, well wake you up before we deal with the doctor."

 

Casey just blinked at her and Patricia fretted for a moment, fetching the best approximation of tissues they had on hand and shooing the lingering Joseph away with the stern ruling that what Casey needed now was to sleep. The girl cleaned up her face when prompted but for her part, shel just continued to watch Patrica work in what appeared to be stupefied silence and Patricia was forced to try and maneuver the child into laying down again since she would no doubt just sit there till she passed out if left on her own.

 

Unfolding just enough of a corner blanket to settle herself on, Patricia lowered herself to the floor again. She could feel the concrete already trying to leech the warmth from her but it was easy enough to ignore for now. Adjustments for their sleeping would need to be made but she knew it best to wait till the girl was unconscious. Possibly the others as well.

 

Glancing over, she saw Joseph settling back in his corner, next to his father. Though she couldn't exactly see David Dunn in the dark under their pile of coats and blankets she could nonetheless feel his eyes upon her and it sent a chill running up and down her spine.

 

* * *

 

"She says she doesn't mind," Joseph muttered under his breath as he settled onto the blankets. The unintelligible sound his father made in response to this was of course disapproving but thankfully resigned as well. Joseph hadn't wanted to intrude once again and had worried what his father would do with his report of the situation, regardless of what was found. It'd been a long day, mostly spent waiting and holed up hiding and while Joseph wasn't looking forward to a night on the dirty warehouse floor, he was at least definitely looking forward to being unconscious. 

 

There'd been whispered planning between himself, his father, and Kevin about where they might go next but everyone agreed they had to get rid of the doctor first. Everyone seemed strong on the agreement that they weren't to kill her but no one voiced any complaint on her behalf when they'd collectively agreed to leave her restrained over night due to inaction. It was just sort of assumed any plan they made with her around was a plan already compromised. 

 

Of course Joseph couldn't sleep all night and then suddenly it was morning and he wasn't even the first awake. Someone had already gone out and gotten coffee already which was delightful but he hadn't even taken a sip before he realized there there was already tension and a threat of conflict. His father stared over towards the corner where the girl slept, the Horde twined around her also seemingly sound asleep. Ms Price caught his eye and gave her head a sharp shake before he could say anything. 

 

"She needs sleep," she explained in a whisper, despite the fact they were on the other side of the room. "If you move him, she'll wake up." A stern look was delt towards him and then his father.

 

* * *

 

Ellie flexed her hands and felt thankful that the shooting pain continued to slowly dissipate. It was still there with each motion, but she didn't actively grimace every time she did so now. The fact that David continued to look towards the sleeping pair was a false opening that she couldn't have taken advantage of with her grip currently, even if she'd been foolish enough to try to.

 

The tape still hadn't been removed when his distraction increased. He was paying enough attention to her to give her a warning head shake when she reached up to peel it off however. Both of them froze when the Horde twitched and stirred. Giving her fingers another flex, she rolled her wrists and hoped that they would just tear each other apart. The only way this was going to go well for her was if she was able to just slink away with her metaphorical tail between her legs, she’d decided. And the only way she was going to get away was if there was no one left to guard her.

 

The upcoming handoff loomed large in her mind but she tried not to let the thought overwhelm her planning. With sharp interest, she watched as the Horde raised their head and looked down at the young girl in their arms. She could almost see David lean in, furious and ready to defend the child's honor and her breath caught in anticipation. 

 

Unfortunately the outcome was not as ideal as one could have hoped. Rather than lecherously touch her or threateningly defend his claim on her, the individual appeared absolutely horrified and yet aware of the delicate nature of the situation. With near frantic movements, they managed to extradite themselves from the sleeping form, quickly tucking the blanket corner back around her, before scurrying over to the group. Accepting a coffee from a poker-faced Ms Price, they profusely apologized for the situation. 

 

David clearly wanted to release his frustration over the injustice of the situation but Elli rolled her eyes and huffed behind her duct tape in as the man instead slowly turned away and forced his hand open. In a whispered voice the alter was introducing himself as Barry and then David was back again to secure her. They still had three more hours before the handoff and she despised every minute of the wait till the inevitable. 

 

When the girl awoke, that too was a disappointedly downplayed affair. The coffee she sipped must have been disgustingly cold by that point but she still smiled in thanks anyway. The exchange between her and the Barry fellow was polite and no mention of their sleeping arrangements were made. Dr Staple wished she could have been dying of boredom, instead she spent every minute of those hours evaluating and re-evaluating the situation, trying to find an opportunity to act that would not have ended in catastrophic failure for herself.

 

* * *

 

That they had managed to get to the handoff location was mildly impressive, in part because they weren't ambushed in route and in part that they managed to again pile into the car and travel as a group without any violence. Dennis had be correct that there were numerous buildings for them to hide in around the area and the group stealthily positioned themselves in one of them somewhat before the appointed time. 

 

Of course it couldn't have gone absolutely smoothly, Casey thought with a sigh. That would have just been too easy. Thankfully it was only at the last minute, as David grabbed the doctor's arm and started to drag the woman down the steps that Kevin tensed up. Casey hadn't heard anyone agree to who would actually manage the handoff and from his reaction David had jumped to some conclusions on his own.

 

"Kevin," David said in a firm voice, "Someone needs to stay here and watch over the group. And if something goes down out there... well, maybe I can just get away on my own and we can avoid needing the Beast at all, ok?"

 

Kevin licked his lips, glancing nervously between David and the rest of the group. Casey held her breath as he clearly weighed and considered several options. She could feel Joseph tense next to her, also presumably considering the possible outcomes should Kevin challenge David's suggestion. She was certain Dennis would have argued, would have tried to take the woman to the meeting spot himself. Patricia no doubt would have just pushed the woman out of the window and called it good. Thankfully Kevin eventually gave a tight nod and the tension in the room noticeably lessoned. Watching David drag the unresisting woman down the steps, Casey couldn't help but feel a faint prickle if concern at the back of her neck. There was something in the woman's absolute compliance that made Casey suspicious and almost wish Dennis or Patricia were around to handle what might be lurking ahead.

 

It wasn't long before the blindfolded figure of the doctor stumbled into the opening between the buildings. Casey, Joseph, Ms Price, and Kevin crouched near the window, peeking out. Joseph's hand pressed to the earpiece that connected him to the woman and he instructed her to keep walking. In his other hand, he held a camcorder and trained it on the courtyard. It was fortunate that he filmed a wide shot because the doctor remained in frame when she suddenly jerked forward just as they heard the crack of a rifle shot. The woman stumbled, red immediately blossoming across her left shoulder and then she was on her knees and then face down in the weed choked courtyard that had been their agreed upon hand off location. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh thank god, the night has passed and now something ✨exciting ✨ can happen again....


	9. In game theory, the stag hunt is a game that describes a conflict between safety and social cooperation. In it two individuals go out on a hunt, they can individually hunt hares (worth less) but they can only hunt a stag (worth more) if they cooperate

It wasn't like he hadn't been bracing for something. Still, the shot that toppled the doctor took David by surprise and he pressed further against the building's wall. He'd thought it foolish when he learned Elijah's mother had gone out of her way to pick him up a replacement poncho but as he leaned into the shadows, he was thankful to have a fresh cloak of darkness to help hide him for moments like this. He shouldn't have been surprised given that this was never going to go easy. Every time he'd touched the woman, it'd been a game of roulette for yet another awful, vivid flashback of her time with the Foundation. While he'd certainly seen her witness, and more than once parktake in, some horrific sights, none of the memories of her organization suggested they'd turn on their own quite so viciously.

 

A second rifle shot barked out, echoing off the surrounding abandoned factories, and David saw a small eruption of dirt and gravel next to the doctor's head. Pebbles rained back down upon the woman and he saw her form twitch slightly. Frowning, he wondered if she was just trying to play dead. He contemplated going to to rescue her but his back still ached from the hailstorm of bullets he'd taken yesterday. Joseph had inspected it and informed him he was indeed back and blue all over and the very thought of more punishment triggered a painful twinge over his right shoulder. The pain warred with his conscience up until the point the problem was eclipsed. 

 

Black clad soldiers streamed out of a building that stood nearly, but not quite, on the opposite side of the empty lot. They appeared more heavily armored this time but the basic look was the same as yesterday and they moved with a familiar swarming motion, a deliberate forward momentum.

 

The next rifle shot that sounded across the not-as-abandoned-as-it-seemed landscape paired with the collapse of one of the soldiers and was met with a roar of returned gunfire. The flock of them didn't even stop, raising their weapons to shoot at the building they approached without pushed onward. The fallen soldier was quickly back on their feet and only a couple paces behind the rest as they surged into the abandoned building where the shots had originated from, two buildings over.

 

David narrowed his eyes, fists clenching as he surveyed the scene before him. The doctor continued to lay on the ground, unmoving, with a solitary soldier having stayed behind, hovering over her though offering no help. A crash could be heard from the targeted building followed by the only mildly dampened sound of gunfire indoors. Heaving a sigh, David made a snap decision and took off towards the sound, once again foolishly running towards danger rather than away from it.

 

* * *

 

"Dr Staple?! Dr Staple!!" Joseph was shouting into his ear piece when Kevin slapped a hand over his mouth and pushed the young man down, Casey and Ms Price having already dropped below the windowsill, out of sight and hopefully out of range. Warily Casey eyed the brick wall she pressed against, expecting at any moment shards of glass to come raining down on them. She didn't know how, but she felt certain the soldiers would find them, would turn their attention towards them.

 

After a warning look, Kevin removed his hand and Joseph spoke in a strangled whisper, "I can hear her breathing but she's not saying anything. There's a soldier there, but he hasn't said anything either yet." Twisting, Joseph looked up and clearly longed to peer out the window. "My dad? Do you see my dad out there?"

 

Kevin and Casey exchanged looks and after Kevin fully released the man with an uneasy shrug, Joseph popped his head up, again settling the camera he continued to hold on the windowsill. "I don't see him," Joseph said after a moment. 

 

Casey's eyes were squeezed shut, fearing at any moment the man's head would erupt in a shower of bone fragments and gore due to one of the soldiers seeing him and taking a shot. When the gun fire next door began, she found herself shaking with tension and felt an urge to be ill. Her arm throbbed in pain and the mostly healed bite wound on her calf chose now to start aching again.

 

The hand that caught and held hers was strong and steady. It wrapped around both hers, and she stared up into Kevin's worried expression. He'd just opened his mouth to say something when the sound of more gunfire next door had her flinching and Kevin lifting his head to look out the window.

 

"Promise me you wont go down there?" Kevin asked, crouching back down. He released her hands, instead gripping her arm and looking at her with wild eyes. "If you go anywhere, it's away. Just... run far away, ok?" Casey stared back at him, equally wide eyed, and just mutely nodded. She felt his hand on her arm twitch, a squeeze and the faintest of pull on her bicep, and then he was releasing her and standing up, stepping away. Grabbing the back of his shirt collar, he pulled the item of clothing off even as he was kicking off his shoes. Joseph had barely caught onto what was happening by the time Kevin was once again bare chested and barefoot before her. 

 

Joseph crouched there, camera loosely pointed to towards the courtyard but staring back at Kevin who pointed a finger at the younger man. "Don't do anything stupid. Anything happens to her, you're getting blamed."

 

Casey didn't like that, but before she could complain Kevin cried out and and seemed to convulse. Joseph whipped the camera around and filmed the poor man as he struggled before them both. The veins across his flesh seems to almost swell and she could see the muscles in his back rippling and twitching in ways they were never meant to. It all looked exceptionally painful and from the small handful of noises that escaped him, it sounded as bad as it looked. 

 

"Oh fuck..." she heard Joseph breath behind her as the Beast slowly rose to his feet. Casey felt her breath catch as he stepped towards them, towards the window. Joseph scrambled backwards on hands and feet, camera dropped by the window in his haste to get away. Casey remained crouched as the Beast stalked toward over her. 

 

While she'd envisioned, fantasized, feared, anticipated, and wanted for this moment for so long, Casey found herself frozen in place. There were things she wanted to say, things she wanted to ask, things she'd wanted to do when given the chance to actually confront the Beast again. Each and every one of them, good or bad, bold or cautious evaporated in his actual presence. Reaching forward, he carefully wrapped a large, strong hand around her uninjured arm and began to drag her forward. Not moments ago, those hands had held hers reassuringly and she was too stunned by the change to resist.

 

There was a sound from Joseph, it may have been the beginnings of a shout or demand but he abruptly cut off in fear at the look and accompanying hissed growl it earned him. When the Beast turned back to look at her, he cocked his head and took a step back, dragging her further. In the back of her mind, Casey's imagination supplied a number of suggestions on what might be happening. That the Beast was dragging her off into the warehouse for his own nefarious purposes, that he was taking the opportunity to escape with her in tow, that he'd changed his mind and would now feast upon her flesh.

 

In truth, she was only dragged several feet away before he released her and stepped over her, past her, and towards the window. Casey realized what was happening only as the Beast dropped a shoulder and basically threw himself through the panes of glass. At what seemed like the last moment, his hand caught the frame and his fall turned into an unnatural scaling of the building, traveling along the build's face and then leaping to the next building without ever descending below the third floor.

 

The gunfire that Casey had been so worried about now did burst through the window, whatever portion of the window the Beast hadn't broken now fragmenting and raining down onto the floor, leaving behind harmless pebbled glass rather than the shards she'd imagined. There was a shout from behind her as Mr Glass reacted to the situation but it didn't sound like anyone in the room was injured. There was another burst of gunfire but this time it peppered the wall of the building, presumably following the Beast.

 

Breathing hard and looking around, Casey crawled towards the window, passing the elderly Ms Price who was now crawling in the opposite direction, back towards her son after having cowered off to the side in the Beast's presence. The tiny pieces of glass did not cut her palms but felt only like painful chunks of gravel as she worked through and over the wreckage surrounding the window.

 

She wanted to so badly to peer out and down below, to see what was happening, but all she could think of was her uncle's hunting hound scaring up birds from the brush and him laughing as he picked them off one after another mid flight. Bowing her head, she squeezed her eyes shut and tried to overcome the fear, the paralyzing gut instinct of prey that told her to hold still. That if she held still she wouldn't be seen, wouldn't be found, wouldn't be hurt. 

 

Forcing her eyes open, she realized the camera lay before her, a pile of glass fragments not quite obscuring it. With shaking hands, she picked up the device and carefully raised it to the windowsill, using the camera to peer out upon the chaos unfolding below. 

 

* * *

 

While she hadn't exactly expected to be shot, she wasn't surprised. Dr Staple closed her eyes, thankful a curtain of hair hid her from anyone who might be looking for signs if alertness or suffering. Pain of course radiated from the wound but given she'd spent half the night imagining the Beast eviscerating her with nothing but his teeth and she knew it wasn't as bad as it could have been. 

 

Joseph's tiny little digital voice had thankfully ceased squawking in her ear. She hoped she'd have the time to dispose of the device before Collections got ahold of her, it was already bad enough how compromised she'd become. Cracking an eyelid open, she peered between strands of hair up at the soldier who stood above her. Did they really think she'd try to run if left unguarded? The thought more than the pain of her wound churned her stomach. Elijah had truly constructed a perfect revenge by handing her back, tarnished and loyalty in question, to the Foundation. Her faith in the cause had not waived, but in the past others' had and she would have quite the time trying to convince them that this was not the case with her.

 

That the soldier fired, and then fired again was worrying. Had this team not been briefed as to what they were dealing with? Think back, she realized she hadn't seen any riot gear on the swarm that had passed over her. Suddenly the man almost stepped on her as he rapidly backpedaled and then a large form hurtled past her, sailing overhead and landing on bare feet nearly atop her outstretched arm. The soldier screamed and the sound twisted, rising to a nearly animal shriek as the Beast knocked them to the ground. Ellie could only see drumming heels from where she lay, but that was enough. Her plan to play dead and the will it took to do so buckled in the face of the Beast's presence and she pushed herself to her feet, half crawling away in her desperate attempt to Get Away. The screams behind her stopped, though she could hear several more in the distance, and she sprinted as fast as she could towards the nearest building.

 

The doctor's head snapped forward as the Beast caught ahold of her coat, abruptly halted her escape attempts and all forward momentum. She felt his breath on her neck as he yanked her back towards him, large hands snaking up to wrap fingers, claw-like with their tension and strength, around her throat. Rather than simply crush her windpipe or snap her neck, she felt his hold tighten just enough to cut off her air and there was a deep animalistic growl from him as she began to choke and struggle. Instinct alone brought her hands up to claw desperately at the forearms encircling her despite the fact she rationally understood it would do no good.

 

* * *

 

"Oh my God, no," Casey breathed as she stared at the little screen that served as her view out the window. Somehow the act of destroying a faceless soldier who had fired at him was one thing, but the sight of the Beast wrapping his arms around Dr Staple filled her with a horror she could not accept. The woman was awful, they'd all made it clear to her in the last twenty four hours and the woman's actions alone would have condemned her in Casey's opinion, but not to this. Not to death.

 

Overcoming her fear of getting shot, aided by the fact the Beast had just taken out the seemingly last soldier on the field, Casey jumped to her feet and shouted down at him, "NO!" Joseph was clearly taken by surprise and stumbled towards the window to look for himself. A hand raised to his earpiece as a look of horror overtook him and Casey didn't want to imagine what he was hearing through it.

 

Hastily handing the camera back to him, she threw her arms up and waved them about now wanting the undivided attention of those in the courtyard. "NO! Kevin! No!" She felt his full name on the tip of her tongue and heard Joseph begin to shout it, making it all the way through his middle name before Casey clumsily clapped a hand over his mouth. The man jerked away from her in surprise but thankfully did not immediately try to recite it again. When they both turned back to the courtyard she saw the Beast staring at her. 

 

"Hang in there," she heard Joseph muttering into his ear piece as Casey boldly leaned further out the window, waving her arms again. 

 

"Stop! Let her go!" she cried desperately. If she were down there, if she could just reach him, she was certain she could get him to stop. Mr Glass was shouting something behind her, shouting at her no doubt, but she ignored him and tried again. From the way Joseph continued to whisper into the ear piece she had to believe there was still a chance to save the woman. 

 

"Please!" Leaning out of the window was dangerous and stupid and she wasn't sure what it'd accomplish but so she so desperately needed him to listen to her. "Don't do this! Don't do this to Kevin!"

 

Casey would have liked to think her words were reaching him, that he was on the cusp of letting the doctor go, of seeing reason. The gunfire that stuck him, knocking him forward and eliciting a furious roar from him, clearly changed how things were going to play out however and she'd never know for certain how it would have- could have ended. The doctor was flung to the ground as the Beast turned to face the building where the firefight within could still be heard. With clenched fists he struck his chest in a ridiculous display of aggression and was rewarded for his posturing with another hail of bullets that sent him stumbling back.

 

It was a surprise when she felt Joseph pressing the camera back into her hands. Casey tried to ask what she was supposed to do with it but the young man had already turned and sprinted across the warehouse floor towards the steps. With a stunned expression, she turned towards Mr Glass and his mother. The old woman stood behind her son, ramrod straight and somehow looking none the worse for wear despite crouching and crawling across the dirty floor, same as Casey had. Her son looked furious, hands angrily gripping the armrests of his chair, eyes so wild that it almost scared her to look at him. It suddenly occurred to her that she'd been left behind with the madman of the group. Warily she glanced back to his mother, wondering if they were about to try something shady or at the very least try to escape. 

 

"Give me that camera," Mr Glass said between grit teeth. Casey gulped and looked out the window. They were several floors up and she realized that no matter how scalable the building's face may be, she was no Beast and her shoulder certainly couldn't be trusted to endure something like that. The courtyard was empty again except for a collapsed Dr Staple.

 

"Stay back!" she gasped, thrusting her hand out the window, camera firmly in her grip. "I'll- I'll toss it if you- if you try anything." The man leaned back in his chair and looked rather taken aback by the threat. "I don't know what you're trying to do- you keep acting like you're so fucking smart- but I know that you- both of you- aren't going anywhere till the others get back and no, you cannot have the camera." Dana Price seemed to almost smile as she arched an eyebrow, hands still resting on the back of her son's chair. "When... when Kevin and David get back you can have it." The question of whether they'd make it back was the more pressing one, though the sounds from next door appeared to have died down and she refused to consider the possibility quite yet of things not going well. Given the Beast was clearly on the rampage, she wasn't even quite sure what "well" even meant.

 

"How dare-" Mr Glass started to say when he was halted by a light hand on his shoulder. 

 

"You always wanted to be taken seriously, Elijah," his mother said softly. "I think this girl takes you very seriously." The man frowned at her, but rather than argue he brought his hands up together in a familiar steepled position. "Don't worry, Casey, we're not going anywhere or going to try anything," there was a note of steel in her voice that put Casey at ease rather than worried her. "I promise."

 

Nodding nervously, Casey glanced back out the window in time to see Joseph jogging out into the opening. With an uneasy peek back at her companions, she decided to train the camera on him and the doctor. It wasn't like she was able to do anything else helpful at the moment. 

 

* * *

 

David's poncho was again riddled with holes and it moved differently now as he darted across the hallway to the safety of another door frame. It fluttered behind him like the tattered cloak of some rotted ghost rather than the dramatically solid swirl he'd started with. No one was taking the time to appreciate it however, the soldier who aimed at him firing the moment he'd moved and the gunfire sustained for several heartbeats after he'd reached safety.

 

It'd been a race to the upper floor, the soldiers pushing as hard and fast as they could while David stalked them from behind, grabbing a hold of and subduing anyone who fell far enough behind to be picked off. It had seemed like they’d met some resistance along the way but David passed no bodies as he followed. He'd managed to remove three of them before they'd reached the spot someone had been taking shots at the doctor from. While David had no idea who it'd been, he understood well enough that if he didn't reach them soon, these soldiers would remove the opportunity for such an introduction.

 

There was shouting, muffled, but clearly agitated followed by gunfire that was not aimed at him. The three soldiers at the end of the hall were doing an effective job of keeping him pinned and he worried how much time he had. Another sprint to another doorway, across the hall but closer to his goal, earned him a shoulder battered with shots. The force of the impact had him stumbling, slamming uncontrollably into the doorframe that just barely provided him cover. Wincing, he poked a finger through one of the holes in the poncho and observed the ugly bruises, fresh ones overlaying the old, that could be seen underneath. Every pass that brought him closer was earned at the cost of further abuse. 

 

Closing his eyes, David drew a deep breath and tried to brace himself for the next run. He didn't know who these people were attacking but he was certain the moment that threat had been cleared, he and Joseph and everyone else in their group would be next. Better to deal with the threat now now, while they were distracted. There was the sound of breaking glass just as he pushed off from his hiding place and while the hallway echoed with gunfire, it wasn't directed towards him this time. Touching the opposite wall safely, David immediately stuck his head back out and observed the Beast picking up one of the soldiers and tossing the individual down the hall towards David.

 

It took a second for David to correctly assess the situation. The sight of the Beast slamming a clenched fist into one of the soldier's throats was likely fatal and David felt a knee jerk response to rush out and stop him. The soldier who had landed a couple feet away rolled over and brought his gun around to bare on David, forcing him to sigh and deal with the actual threat. Disarming the man was easy enough but his choke hold to put the man down took longer than the Beast's murderous approach to the situation and by the time David was on his feet, free again the hallway had been cleared. 

 

There were snarls and shouted orders echoing around the corner and David earned himself two shots to the chest when he peeked around it too carelessly. The impact knocked him to his feet but by the time he'd climbed back up he saw the Beast had dealt with that one as well. Kevin Wendell Crumb's skin looked as bruised and battered as David's did but somehow the fact that he wore nothing to conceal it made it all the more frightening. There was no question that the man survived the knife thrust one of the pinned guards made, blade sliding harmlessly across the bare, obscenely muscular abdomen. The inhumanity of it was undeniable and David's mind shied away from such thoughts even as he knew them to be true.

 

Rushing forward, David caught the the Beast's hand as it dramatically raised, fingers curled and claw like, ready to presumably maul or remove some portion of the soldier he held. Head whipping around, he snarled at David, bloody lips pulling back to reveal nothing more than normal human teeth which in a way was more disturbing than if he'd somehow grown a mouth full of fangs.

 

The battle of wills was really just a super powered arm wrestling match as David wordlessly tried to force the Beast's hand down while the monster before him growled low in his chest, arm muscles bulging and straining as he tried not to even wrench his arm free but to simply reach towards the soldier. "We don't need to kill," David grit out between clenched teeth as they strained against each other.

 

This argument was undermined as the victim in question chose to fumble out a small handgun from a holster strapped to their leg and fire three shots point blank into the Beast's chest. The impact sent the man stumbling back though his hold on the soldier was not broken. David let the Beast's arm go and felt sickly resigned as the gun and limb that guided it were dealt with. 

 

After two days of intense violence that escaped any previous understanding David had held on how things worked, he found himself numb as he surveyed the scene around them. While he wouldn't have been surprised if the Beast turned on him in that moment, it was a relief that the other man just stood there, shoulders heaving and breathing hard. It occurred to him to maybe ask for Kevin, to try and dismiss this murderous creature that had just saved him and the unknown individuals on the other side of the door.

 

Head moving in a low, unnaturally sinuous manner, the Beast surveyed his handy work before pacing once across the wreckage he'd wrought. David looked around, almost expecting more soldiers to pop around some corner and continue the fight but it was empty. The window next to the door had been shot through and the icy breeze that drifted in it sent his pancho fluttering and cooled the sting deflected bullets had left across his flesh. Stepping over to it, he looked down and was saw Joseph practically dragging the doctor off the field. He frowned, displeased that the boy would venture out so exposed. The silence that filled the abandoned factory now was oppressive and he realized he could hear a sound from the other side of the door. A sudden worry gripped him and he rushed to the door, raising a fist to pound on it.

 

Trying to ignore the hulking figure of the Beast who stepped up far, far too close to him, David leaned towards the door and shouted through it, "Don't shoot anyone. Don't- That's my son out there, don't you dare shoot at him." Glancing over at the Beast who stood, jaw still painted red from soldier's blood and eyes dialated black, David considered the situation. "We're-" He stopped himself, unsure of what exactly they were. 

 

There was a low rumble from the Beast as the man nodded, looking from David to the door and back. Despite his apparent willingness to simply climb into a building and begin delimbing people, the Beast seemed ready to let David take the lead at the moment. There was no question the Beast could have dealt with the door had he wanted to and David appreciated that it hadn’t simply been ripped from it's hinges. The sounds on the other side had ceased and David closed his eyes once again.

 

Were these strangers on the other side of the door friends? They'd shot the doctor quite intentionally, but even he had to admit that didn't exactly disqualify them from such a role. Were they there to help? David worried about how the next six hours were going to go, let alone longer than that- the Raven's Hill Hospital group was in no position to offer help given they seemed barely able to help themselves.

 

Beating his fist against the door once again, David just shook his head. "Open up!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is me, having fun, smashing my toy dinosaurs together and making "Rawwwrrrrr!" sounds while I play by myself...


	10. Pareto optimality is when resources are allocated such that it is impossible to reallocate them to benefit an individual without leaving someone else worse off

There was the sound of something heavy moving, a dragging sound accompanied by muffled, hushed voices, and then the door was cracked open. David didn't know what to expect though he'd been bracing for something involving more guns or at least weaponry, violence, or a threat. Instead there was a distraught woman, red eyes from crying with wild hair that lent itself to a crazed look. She was also incredibly pregnant. Hands gripping door and frame she looked between the two men, the sight of the Beast somehow not registering or at least causing her no additional distress.

 

"Richard?" she gasped, gaze shifting past them and down the hall, paying no attention at all to the fallen soldiers. "Richard?!?" she cried out again and boldly shouldered past the two, running down the hall and repeating the name. David was too shocked to react and the Beast activity took a step back as he clearly stared at the woman's swollen belly. The fear he'd chase after her was unfounded, the man instead quickly slipping into the room and out of sight. Cursing, David followed, stepping over the tipped office furniture that had been moved only far enough to allow the door to open. 

 

He didn't have far to go. The Beast crouched atop a desk that stood between the entrance and the individuals in the room, growling threateningly and looking about as dangerous as any creature could. It disturbed David that the woman who held a rifle continued to aim it out the window, presumably at Joseph, rather than train it on the threat in the room. Half her face had the smoothed, melted clay look of a burn victim which made the stare she gave him hard to read. 

 

Several feet from the window a young man knelt over the absolutely still form of an older woman, sobbing as he held bloody hands and a soaked clump of fabric to her neck. The pool of blood that spread out from her was wide and various footprints had tracked it about the space. Against the far wall a young women clung to a man about her age and the pair seemed to be the only ones taking the threat of the Beast seriously.

 

"Lower your gun," David instructed, reaching out a hand towards the woman at the window.

 

"The bitch's still alive," she muttered and shouldered the weapon, turning away from them to sight down it. "I'm not going to miss again. Third time's the charm." The drooping corner of her mouth twitched up in a smile as she said this and David immediately moved towards her. 

 

Of course the moment his fingers wrapped around the fabric of her sleeve he was hit with a vision. Unlike the countless others he'd seen, this one was a strange echo, taking place exactly in the spot they currently stood. The woman was sighting down her rifle, the dead woman alive and standing next to her. "This is for Jessica, you bitch," she whispered seemingly to herself and the scene abruptly cut out the moment she squeezed the trigger. That he caught her arm and spun her about, careful to keep the weapon pointed at the floor, before she shot didn't seem like luck or good fortune. She let herself be disarmed, only scowling at him and quickly stepping away when he released her. David had time to glance out the window and see Joseph guiding the staggering doctor back to where they'd left the others before a rumbling growl demanded his attention.

 

The Beast had crawled to the edge of the desk and leaned menacingly over the edge if it, towards the cowering pair. While the woman looked ready to faint, her companion did his best to glare back at the Beast, shifting to put himself between the two.

 

"Kevin Wendell Crumb," the woman next to David intoned in a flat voice. The Beast's head whipped around and he snarled. "Kevin Wendell Crumb." There was a slight edge to the second recitation, the name hurried. The Beast shook his head and shifted, looking ready to fling himself at her.

 

"Kevinwendellcrumb!" In one breath and sounding a little panicked, she tried one more time, stepping behind David as she did so. The Beast toppled forward off the desk, landing heavily on his back where he groaned. 

 

Confident that Kevin wouldn't be an issue, David carefully moved forward to crouch next to the crying youth. With a firm hand he moved the the cloth out of the way and pressed his fingers to where her pulse might have been. The woman had clearly taken a bullet, possibly more than one, to the neck and chest and while she was still warm there was no question she was dead. This fact was on the tip of David's tongue but a look told him the kid didn't need to hear that. There was no denial in that shell shocked expression, just fear and uncertainty. 

 

"We need to get out of here," David said firmly, looking around the room at these strangers. With a jerk of his head, he nodded towards Crumb as the man slowly climbed to his feet. "He just killed a lot of people and some of the guards I put down are going to start getting back up pretty soon." Kevin's eyes widened as he looked from David down to his bloodied hands and then back again. It was clear he too now had no idea what was going on but thankfully handled it well enough.

 

"The others," Kevin said with a worried expression. "I- I left them in the other building, did anyone...?" He exchanged uncomfortable glances with the young couple who apparently continued to view Kevin with no less fear than they had the Beast. The hanging question was left unanswered as a wail echoed up through the building. 

 

"Shit," muttered the woman who had shot Dr Staple. Kevin and David traded a quick look before Kevin followed her when she took off after her friend. David hung back, shepherding the last three out as quickly as he could. They all collectively spared a look back at the dead woman, laying still on the floor, before hurrying down the steps.

 

* * *

 

The taste of blood was far too strong in Kevin's mouth and he allowed himself to spit again. He'd hung back when the woman had found her friend and he now didn't know when or how to approach. The pregnant woman still cradled the dead body, presumably the Richard she was looking for, despite her friend's attempts to pry the woman's hands from him. Kevin had been relieved to see the man's chest had been riddled with bullet holes. The number of mauled soldiers he'd passed made his stomach churn and he caught himself staring at his hand again while his tongue traced the inside of his teeth.

 

"Bethany, come on," the woman with the burn scars said and Kevin was surprised to see her stand up from her crouch and begin to vigorously tug on the pregnant woman's arm. She clearly strained with the effort of it and yet her friend moved not an inch. Even the arm being pulled on seemed to curl around the dead man's head loosely, no tension in her posture other than what her full bodied sobbing caused her.

 

Footsteps could be heard coming down the stairs, but it was the groan of one of the soldiers near Kevin that drew the woman from her daze. Stumbling back several steps, Kevin looked around frantically and rubbed his hands nervously on his gore caked pants. So the man slumped in the corner was not dead apparently and Kevin jumped again when there was a twitch of one of his hands. Quickly stepping in, Kevin kicked the man's gun from his reach and then, thinking further on it, collected the weapon but stayed well out of arm's reach. The woman was already up and approaching him by the time he'd retreated a safe distance and before Kevin could raise the question of what to do, she soundly dealt with the problem.

 

The punch the woman dealt was clearly unnatural, in no normal world or scenario should a human fist pass so easily through a human skull. The wet sound that accompanied it as well as the sudden, brief convulsions of the soldier had Kevin turning around and heaving in one of the doorways. Behind him he heard the woman's friend swear softly under her breath and there was further unpleasant sounds that kept Kevin's gaze averted.

 

"What the hell?" David asked, coming into sight with the three other strangers tagging behind him. At a loss for words, Kevin weakly waved a hand in the direction of the women and pointedly kept his head turned away. The taste of bile coated his tongue now and he couldn't tell if it was an improvement or not over the blood. The girl that'd come down with David began to hyperventilate and cry at the same time and his stomach flipped again. She wasn't that much older than Casey and he felt another painful stab of worry wondering what had befallen the girl.

 

Scrubbing at his lips with the back of his hand, he pointedly moved towards the building's exit. He felt light headed and knew he needed fresh air, need to rise his mouth out, and needed to see Casey. Stumbling in his hurry to escape the building and all the death contained within, it all became too much and Kevin felt the Light taken from him before he could protest. 

 

Dennis continued forward several steps before stopping and turning back. He found David watching him closely and he nodded sharply at the man. Recognition was there in the man's face, closely followed by a scowl. Looking down at himself, Dennis drew a deep breath and held it for a moment before letting it out with an uneasy shutter. There was no question he was filthy, his skin crawled at the thought of the blood coating him, inside and out. This wasn't the first time Dennis had to deal with the Beast's aftermath however and though a sweat broke out across his brow, he was able to clench his fists and fight down any dramatic reactions he felt might be warranted by the situation.

 

While the Beast never allowed anyone near the Light while he held it, Kevin had let everyone see and follow along what had been happening and so Dennis wasn't surprised. Still, the sight of the pregnant woman's bloodied fist was disturbing, as was her friend's face. David was trying to guide his group of people down the hall though the girl with him trembled and refused to move. Dennis caught himself licking his lip in contemplation, the thought of grabbing the young woman himself and hauling her out interrupted by the sharp taste of blood.

 

"Let's go," he said firmly and the two women Kevin had followed seemed to jump a bit, startled by his voice. There was water in the car, he knew, and he itched to be clean again. Casey was in theory waiting in the other building, if she'd listened to Kevin at least, and he wanted to assure himself and the others that she'd not done anything foolish.

 

"Who put you in charge?" the pregnant woman asked, resting clenched fists upon her hip and making Dennis wince with the streak of red the gesture left on her shirt.

 

"I did," he snapped, and jerked his head. "We're leaving. You can come with us or..." he gestured back down the hall.

 

"Hey, fuck you," her friend shouted at him. "Bring back the other guy, we don't need assholes here, ok?"

 

"I don't care what you need. We are-"

 

"Dennis!" David glared at the man, cutting him off. Gripping the frightened young woman by the elbow, David practically dragged her down the hall, past the corpse, and past her friends towards the exit. Her two male companions meekly followed behind and Dennis scowled at them, happy that they at least seemed to cower from him a bit. There was a sharp retort for David on the tip of his tongue when he choked and struggled for a moment.

 

The bloody vomit mouth really was something and Barry fought down a gag as he adjusted to being in the Light. "Sorry, sorry," he muttered raising placating hands first towards David and then the two women. "Really, we've got to go. Do... whatever you like," Barry turned to leave and then back again to offer them a parting apologetic smile. "But really, I think you should come with us. An enemy of my enemy and all that, am I right?"

 

They started to move towards the exit and Barry let out relieved sigh. There was water in the car, he vaguely recalled that, but he wanted to make sure the rest of their group was safe first. Picking up his pace he called over his shoulder to David, "I'm going to make sure they're ok and let them know we, ah, have company coming."  Without waiting for a reply Barry hustled back to Casey and the others.

 

* * *

 

When Kevin rounded the corner at almost a dead run, Casey felt her finger tighten on the trigger for the faintest moment before relief flooded her. Letting the pistol drop, she stood in mild shock as Kevin hurried over and wrapped her in a hug. He was covered with blood, again, however and she immediately started to protest the ruination of Hedwig's hoodie and Patricia's skirt. She paused at the voice that babbled apologies to her while he hugged her tightly.

 

"Oh, sweetheart, you almost gave us a heart attack. The room was empty, how did you manage to drag Mr Glass down here?" Casey was pretty sure it was Barry who held her and continued to explain how worried 'they all' were and she realized it would probably be rude at this point to ask for confirmation that it was indeed him. Accepting the fate of her clothing, she allowed herself a moment to relax into the hug, to enjoy the warmth beyond the sticky coating of dead people that covered him. It was the combined stare of Joseph and the doctor however that had her drawing away, holding him at arm's length.

 

Spotting the jug of water past her on the table, he quickly excused himself and dramatically first rinsed  his mouth and then began to scrub the gore from his bare chest and limbs. With a sigh, Casey looked down at her ruined outfit and wished he'd perhaps done that first. Hastily the man explained what they'd found in the other building and that they'd be here any moment. Elijah raised an eyebrow at this and his gaze skipped from probably Barry to Casey as she explained how Dana, Joseph, and herself had managed to bring Elijah and his chair down in case they needed to make a hasty exit. After it was clear there'd be no fighting in the courtyard she'd felt silly standing there filming nothing. Casey could practically see the wheels turning in Elijah's head and she gripped the pistol Joseph had passed her, wishing she could aim it at him and threaten him to behave. Who knew what he'd do with more super powered individuals under his sway?

 

Casey felt an overwhelming urge to just grab Barry's hand and drag him out of the room. To just get in the car and run away and leave David and Elijah to fight, to let someone else deal with Dr Staple, to avoid having to confront even more strange people who no doubt had their own pile of issues in addition to super powers.  Surely Dennis and Patricia had more caches of supplies they could dip into. The two, or perhaps twenty five, of them could no doubt hide easier and make it further on less than a group this large. 

 

She caught Mr Glass giving her that look again. Did he know what she was thinking? Surely her and Kevin running off would be a wrench in his plans. Before she could say anything though, the sound of footsteps, many of them, could be heard echoing down the hallway. Gripping the pistol tightly, she glanced over at Barry as the man stood up and turned to face the group. Quickly scanning everyone, pausing for a moment to critically eye the sagging doctor in Joseph's arms, he cleared his throat. "Ah, Kevin would like to handle this so he's taking the Light now," he announced. He offered Casey a quick smile before the change overtook him and then it was unquestionably Kevin once more before her. 

 

Already shivering, he thanked Casey as she quickly handed over his shirt she'd been keeping ahold of for him. His head popped through the collar just as the group of strangers poured through the building's entrance.

 

David was in front, mid explanation that ‘they’ couldn’t haven’t gone far and cut off as Joseph rushed over to embrace his father. The woman he’d been speaking too had a frightening face, her right eye oddly shaped and lacking an eyebrow. She caught Casey staring at her and the two locked eyes for a long moment before Casey looked away, embarrassed. Next to her was an extremely pregnant woman and beyond her two college aged kids.

 

Pulling back from the embrace, David quickly pointed at the individuals and rattled off names for the new strangers. He’d started to identify the members of their group but was interrupted before he could get through the whole list. 

 

"You!" The scarred woman who’d been identified as Jude hissed, storming across the room, finger raised. Though the pullback was dramatic and drawn out, no one moved to stop the woman before her blow landed hard cross the doctor's face. That it was a closed fist punch rather than a open handed slap seemed to startled several of them though.  The doctor spit blood to the side as both Joseph and his father moved to separate the stranger from their captive. 

 

"You fucking bitch," Bethany, the pregnant one, shouted at the now rather fearful looking doctor. "You fucking cunt. You tried so hard ... so hard…” she scrubbed at her face and from the sound of it had already spent some time crying. “Well I'm having this baby no matter what now and once she comes out I'm going to fucking strangle you with her fucking umbilical cord, do you hear me?!?"

 

The doctor glanced around rapidly and then fixed on the woman's stomach. "How far along are you?" she asked in a artificially level voice. 

 

"None of your fucking business," the woman sobbed as she broke down in tears, going so far as to sage on her feet, though her friend broke free of David’s grasp and hurried to her side. Looks were exchanged across the room and across party lines. 

 

The doctor continued to stare at Bethany in poorly concealed horror and Jude glanced around the group, arm cradling her companion. "Well now we definitely have to kill her," she said in a calm voice and immediately protests erupted around the room. Casey gripped Kevin's arm in fright, staring up at him and silently pleading with her eyes while Elijah loudly agreed and the Dunns collectively pushed back.

 

"We're not killing her, we're releasing her," David explained, speaking loudly over everyone. "No fancy hand off this time, well just-"

 

"She knows about the baby," Jude said in a flat voice. Her face was frightening to look at and her words seemed to match her appearance. Casey felt sick to her stomach, wishing now more than ever she and Kevin could just take off and leave all these people behind.

 

David's "no"s were becoming more insistent and angry in response to the mounting pressure from the two women and Mr Glass shouted opinions on everything. When the pregnant lady eventually just threw herself at Dr Staple, David quickly intervened.  With fists clenched she seemed just as content to rain blows down upon the man, causing Casey to gasp and turn towards Kevin. Mr Glass wasn't the only insane person here apparently and Casey felt overwhelmed by the violence that seemed to surface in all of them at a moment's notice. Kevin's arms came up to wrap protectively around her and she allowed herself a moment to bury her face in the warmth of his chest. It was like the car ride after the hospital, though less painful. Without a splitting headache she was able to appreciate the strength and warmth that exuded from him and it did in fact help her regain her calm. Unfortunately the tussle between the two was not a simple thing and after a while Casey pulled back to look over her shoulder at the super powered cat fight still taking place.

 

That Bethany possessed unnatural strength was not immediately obvious but the way David flinched and clearly struggled to keep her at bay was chilling. As Casey watched, the woman tried to dart around him to reach the doctor again but David held onto her arm and pulled her back. Clearly he was unnerved by her pregnant state, several defensive blocks nearly followed up by a blow of his own that halted at the last moment. Watching the battle Casey felt a growing rage at how irresponsible the woman was behaving and how unfair it was to David. The woman's friend stood off to the side, arms folded and clearly locked in a staring match with Joseph, both keeping the other out of the fight.

 

"You have to help," she said, turning back to look imploringly up at Kevin. The arm wrapped around her tightened momentarily and she could feel him tense up.

 

"I- I don't know," he said in almost a whisper, clearly reluctant to involve himself. "I don't want the Beast to emerge again," he added nervously. "And... and I think she'd break my arm if I tried to stop her." 

 

Casey looked back to a struggling David, who now gripped the woman's wrist with both hands and strained to drag her back. She'd managed to advance several feet closer to Dr Staple and was nearly within striking distance. The doctor, for her part, was pale and silent as she leaned as far away as she could without toppling from the desk Joseph had propped her up against. Casey already knew that she could barely move without assistance, Joseph having practically dragged her out of the courtyard.

 

"We need to help," Casey insisted. "And I- I can't just watch her beat the doctor into a bloody pulp." Turning back to Kevin she gave him a hard stare. "That's not who I am."

 

Kevin licked his lips in a manner wholly unlike the way Dennis did. "She's crazy. We need to talk her down... But I- I don't know- I can't-"

 

"Barry? Dennis?" Casey desperately suggested and Kevin gave her a look, the list of names dying on her lips. Of course it was to be Patricia. Casey hastily let go of him and stepped back. When she was clear Kevin gave her a sharp nod before his eyes fluttered for a moment, not even closing fully, and then Patricia was lifting her chin and giving the scene before her a critical look. Boldly she stepped towards the pair and Casey hastily reminded her that Bethany was strong like David and the Beast.

 

"No," Patricia corrected her, "she has a physical strength but none of the actual fortitude real strength requires. I know all about her hysterics," she added, glancing to Casey before she boldly reached out and caught the woman by the hair. David seemed just as surprised as Bethany was though he made good use of the opening. With a swift yank, Patricia jerked the woman's head back and then nimbly released her and stepped away as Bethany shrieked and redirected her wrath. David managed to catch the woman's other wrist during this, Patricia quite effectively holding the woman's attention and distracting her with a disappointed tutting. Her gaze danced over the two struggling forms and a smile played at the corner of her mouth.

 

"Calm yourself," she commanded, stepping back and crossing her arms over her chest. Where as Dennis always held his arms high across his chest when he did so, Patricia stood in a looser pose and paired it with a tapping of her bare foot. The woman was breathing heavily at this point but did seem to sag slightly in David's grasp at this. "You've made your point and we've made ours. You can cease with the dramatics or do you really care so little for your child?" Patricia scolded. "David may not be willing to strike an expectant mother but I assure you I lack no such compulsion." A swift look up and down the woman, gaze settling on her swollen belly, made her point quite clear and Casey felt sick to her stomach. Everyone appeared rather horrified with this threat except Mr Glass, who simply frowned and steepled his fingers again.

 

"We are not going to savagely murder the woman, not in front of the child," Patricia added, nodding to Casey. "I'm not saying she lives, or even that I think she should, but this sort of display of temper is not how we work." It was a bold statement given there had been very little working amongst their small group up to this point. “Most importantly, now is hardly an appropriate time for such discussions. I believe we should be leaving?”

 

The threat or Patricia's cool response seemed to drain the last of the fight from Bethany and after a moment David warily released the woman. Jude stepped up and collected her friend once again, shuffling her back to their corner. 

 

Turning back to Casey, Patricia seemed taken aback by her horrified expression. Dropping her voice to a conspiratorial whisper she said, "Come now, child. I was clearly bluffing." While Casey certainly doubted her, she offered a shaky nod in reply. Glancing over to the doctor, a smirk tugged at her lips. "I- well Kevin- saw her put her fist through a soldier's face. She was just being dramatic, foolish girl could have killed the doctor if she'd really wanted to." There was something to the smile she offered Casey that suggested amusement though Casey had no idea what could be funny in any of this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Womp womp. I know not everyone is fond of OCs but damnit I need a couple more puppets to make this story work. Don't worry, am keeping eyes on the prize, it's all about our canon characters....
> 
> I miss the Wednesday update cadence of my last story... of course, that was a punishing pace and I want this to remain fun... but still... hoping to update a pinch more frequently....


	11. In the volunteer's dilemma each player can either make a small sacrifice that benefits everybody, or instead wait in hopes of benefiting off someone else's sacrifice. If no one volunteers, the worst possible outcome is obtained for all participants.

In the end, they all piled back into the car. There had been a moment of hesitation as David gripped Dr Staple's arm- for once his hold on the woman looking gentle, almost supportive rather than restraining. Casey knew exactly how much pain the doctor was probably in but still suspected the woman was playing it up and she hoped David didn't relax is guard too much. Elijah had assured him the doctor would be fine and after an unease look around the group, as if to equally distribute the blame for what he was about to do, David secured her in the trunk of the car yet again. The muffled sobs coming from the back put Casey on edge, but she knew they'd done as much as they could for her at the  moment. Patricia had been quite reluctant to dole out any of the pain medication for Dr Staple, citing limited resources, but Casey and Dana had insisted. It'd taken Kevin reclaiming the Light for that to be worked out, something that almost felt embarrassing to have to go through with the new group of strangers watching. 

 

There had been only a brief hiccup of disbelief when the Raven Hill group confessed to not really having a plan or, more importantly, a safe house beyond where they'd spent the previous night. Bethany's focus seemed to fade in and out during the conversation and Kevin had leaned over to whisper in Casey's ear that the woman had just lost her husband or something. Jude seemed to be the most alert amongst the other group and, despite her ongoing distrust and dislike of Dr Staple's presence, offered to share their accommodations. The group of five strangers huddled in the corner for a short period, whispering fiercely amongst themselves till they broke apart and the invitation was repeated, more earnestly by Bethany. Casey didn't think anyone was particularly thrilled by this idea but given the pressing need to get away from the wreckage that had been wrought and a lack of better options, they agreed. Which was how they again found themselves packed tightly into the stolen vehicle, once again driving towards a hastily exchanged address.

 

"Perhaps we should have Heinrich acquire us a larger car?" Elijah joked from the front seat as he glanced in the rear view mirror. Casey found the amusement in his tone frustrating as she shifted uneasily on Kevin's lap. The man under her did not respond to the comment, instead just gripping the handle above the door tighter and staring out at the passing cars. 

 

"No more stealing," David muttered from behind the wheel and the tension in the car coiled faintly tighter.

 

"I'm not sure if you've checked," Elijah drawled as he looked over to the man, "but I'm quite certain your assets have been frozen at this point, David. How exactly are you planning to feed yourself and your son this evening? I saw you raided your hospital inventory before we left, how much cash were you carrying at the time? Or were you hoping to perhaps charge the next expense?" The acid tone of voice poisoned the silence that immediately followed and Casey again shifted uneasily, surprised when Kevin's hand moved to hold her more firmly in place. 

 

"Maybe I should just drive to the nearest police station and turn us all in?" David's reply was painfully late and spoken in the familiar frustrated tones of someone arguing out of spite alone. The hand on Casey's waist spasmed and she glanced at Kevin, who continued to look out the window. She wondered if he too was thinking they should just leave. Unwanted, a worry crept over her that perhaps he was considering just leaving on his own. Nervously, Casey reached down and place a hand over the larger one that rested upon her hip. At this Kevin finally looked away from the window and offered her a weak smile before his gaze skipped past her and focused on those in the front. Before he could say anything, Dana spoke up from where she was wedged in between the two men seated in the back. 

 

"No need to do anything rash, David," she said in an almost amused tone of voice, as if the man had made only a joke and not a threat. "I've enough to tide us over till... we figure something out." Her voice only faltered slightly as she spoke. Thankfully the comment appeared to be enough and there was no further talk for the duration of the ride, about surrendering to the authorities or otherwise.

 

* * *

 

The young woman was in the driveway when they arrived, arms wrapped nervously about herself as she waited for them. Sam or Chris, David had gotten confused during the introductions as to which one was which, hastily flagged them down and directed them down a thankfully long driveway where they parked well out of sight. 

 

The hedges were tall enough to protect them from prying eyes but David still pulled the doctor out of the trunk with extreme caution. While the woman did breath heavily in pain as he gently set her upon her feet, there was thankfully no attempted cry for help. David hadn't wanted to say anything but the 'charming' residential neighborhood they'd found themselves in had him on high alert. All it'd take was a panicked shriek from the captive, duct tape or no, and things would start going downhill rapidly. The doctor sagged against him and again David was hit with a vision of the woman leaning over some strapped down individual. They were clearly in a hospital or some sort of facility and she was saying something comforting about how it would all be over soon, though by this point David strained to not hear and willed the episode to end as soon as possible. While the visions didn't happen with every contact, they were frequent enough to keep him on edge and remind him that their prisoner was no innocent victim. 

 

David's grip on the woman's arm shifted, tighten, as his sight cleared and she stiffened. The two exchanged an uneasy look and then he hauled her towards the house, thankful for the tape that covered her mouth. Jude was holding the door open for him, the scowl on her face made all the more vicious looking by her scars. Thankfully the doctor was able to stumble with guidance up the steps and through the entry. 

 

"-didn't know what to expect," the young woman said, mid-conversation with Joseph as the two followed behind. The door slammed shut behind them and didn't immediately open. David bit back a curse, frustrated at Joseph's careless attitude. Handing the doctor over to his son perhaps a bit more harshly than needed, David hustled back outside, fearing the sound of the engine turning over or the sight of tail lights as the villains sped away at their first opportunity. 

 

Instead, David found Kevin struggling to unfold Elijah's chair while Ms Price attempted to both instruct him in its use and relieve him of it. Casey stood off to the side, fidgeting with her sleeve and shifting her weight from one foot to the other. The spike of fear David felt was quickly extinguished, followed by a faint feeling of almost guilt. As he approached, he caught Elijah watching him in one of the side mirrors, a knowing smile suggesting the man knew exactly why David had hurried back so suddenly.

 

Kevin eventually managed to snap the chair open and David joined him in awkwardly hovering while Dana helped Elijah shift into its seat. Casey held the door as David and Kevin simply carried him in his wheelchair up and into the house. In theory Elijah was able to take a small number of careful steps on his own but David saw no need to take on any extra risks. It was bad enough they had two women who'd been shot, David dreaded when Elijah would eventually break something... Given how the last 48 hours had gone, David expected it was only a matter of time till such a disaster befell them. Idly he wondered if Elijah would still protest a hospital when such a time came.

 

* * *

 

"Ah, thanks," Joseph muttered as he accepted a beer from Bethany and nearly choked on his first sip as he saw her crack open her own can and take a swig. Arching an eyebrow, she took another sip while maintaining eye contact, as if challenging him to call her out for it. Looking away, Joseph glanced around the kitchen and regretted accepting the offer for a drink. Everyone was back in the dining room, seated around the impressive table there as if holding council in a war room, and he desperately wished one of them was struck by a sudden need for a glass of water. 

 

"Got a problem?" she challenged, after a moment of him looking anywhere but at her and saying nothing. Joseph hadn't seen the fist-to-the-face maneuver she'd performed but when Barry had described it he could imagine well enough. No one had dared bring up the brief fight between her and David yet though Joseph knew it weighted heavily on his mind at least. Maybe no one else cared. A sweat broke out on his brow and Joseph shook his head, eyes down. 

 

"Well you should," she said, voice dripping with disgust. "What kind of asshole sees a pregnant lady drinking and says nothing? Spineless." Joseph flinched a bit as she set the can down and stepped past him, reaching harmlessly for a glass rather than his throat. The look of contempt was maintained even as she filled it at the sink and gulped down the contents. He was certain that once she finished she'd find something else sharp to say to him.

 

"Ah, hi," a friendly voice called from the doorway and Joseph looked over, wide eyed and thankful for the interruption. Barry, it had to be with that accent and expression, seemed to be shrugging apologetically with his hands raised in a classic sign of surrender. "Hope I'm not interrupting anything.... ah, Chris said she wanted a glass of water and I... "

 

The woman made a disgusted sound and turned to the cupboard with a loudly called, "Bitch!" over her shoulder. Barry and Joseph exchanged distressed looks, though it seemed like the comment wasn't directed at either of them given the volume. Pouring her friend a drink she scowled at Joseph again and then Barry before taking the two glasses and the opened can with her back to the living room.

 

Barry's head turned as he tracked the woman and then looked back with a confused expression. "I think... Chris might have super hearing," he whispered, approaching the refrigerator to retrieve a beer for himself. He hesitated for a moment and then put it back before switching to two glasses of water. "I think that Mr Glass guy is going to swallow his tongue in a apoplectic fit if David keeps interrupting him. We've been here fifteen minutes and we still don't know what they can do...."

 

Nodding and taking an uneasy swallow of his own drink Joseph waited a moment before letting out a weak laugh. "Yeah, that's why I came in here... the stress was killing me." He knew his father could be firm, tuff. Stern even. But the way he seemed to keep interrupting Elijah and allowed for no questions other than those he and the strangers traded back and forth rapid fire seemed a little unfair even to Joseph. He figured his dad had already figured out what all of them could do via his super touch but he didn't think pointing that out made his father look any better.

 

"It's one epic pissing contest," Barry observed, leaning against the counter, apparently in no hurry to get back to the discussion. "David and Elijah. Davide and Jude. Bethany and David. Maybe Chris and me? I guess that's what's to be expected... pack enough super powered folks in a room and there's going to be... " Rolling his hand, he didn't bother to try to put an exact word to the disaster that was unfolding on the other side of the wall.

 

"My dad's not normally like this," Joseph felt obligated to say and Barry just raised his eyebrows in a way that cast extreme doubt on the statement. 

 

"Really? Because Dennis is." Wrapping his arms around himself, Barry seemed to settle in against the counter more comfortably. "But that's not who we want to be, what Kevin wants to be. To do." Glancing over at Joseph he offered a wincing smile. "Sorry, it's complicated. You'd think after so many years of therapy it'd get easier talking about it all..."

 

"I thought... the bad ones...?" Realizing he was in the midst of saying something he probably shouldn't, Joseph took a hasty gulp and regretted speaking. It was weird to think that the Horde, who his dad and he had been tracking for some time, was now sort of ‘on their side’. There was a long pause while Barry held himself unmoving before he seemed to relax and nod his head.

 

"Let's... not call anyone 'the bad ones,' yeah?" he said more than asked, looking at the floor. "But, yeah- I get what you're saying. Asking." He ran a hand over his scalp and looked around the kitchen. Pushing off the counter he retrieved that beer he'd initially pulled out of the fridge. "This isn't a pissing competition," he seemed to repeat more to himself than to Joseph and then downed half the can in one go. Gasping for breath, he wiped the back of his hand across his mouth. "Kevin has... returned. Somewhat. Has more say now, and if there's one person we all listen to, it's him. But he still... It's a lot, yeah?" The man appeared pained, almost begging for confirmation with the desperate look at he gave Joseph. Feeling overwhelmed, Joseph mutely offered a rapid nod, which seemed to calm Barry somewhat. "It's a lot and so he asked me to, you know, step in. Help keep things smooth. Keep things... peaceful."  

 

Hurrying back to the counter where Joseph leaned, Barry clutched his half-drunk can to his chest. "How the fuck am I supposed to do that?" he asked in a strangled whisper. "The Beast is the one with the super powers, Joseph. You gotta' help me out here, you gotta' convince your dad to... not get us killed." Barry licked his lips nervously and glanced briefly over their shoulders toward the kitchen's entrance. "Casey is keeping a level head and Dana is killing it, and I think if your dad would just ease up on Elijah, she can keep him... under control. But your dad needs to chill... And we do need to know what they can do."

 

Squeezing his eyes shut, Joseph drew a deep breath. This wasn't how things were supposed to go. His dad was the one with the superpowers who fought bad guys. He wasn't supposed to be the one that caused problems. "Yeah, I get it. But, you know-" Joseph licked his lips, and then paused, this time managing to stop himself before he said something he'd regret. He closed his mouth and looked uncomfortable. 

 

"What?" Barry looked around, confused. "But what?" Joseph shook his head, wishing the guy would drop it as he struggled to come up with a different topic on short notice. "Work with me here," Barry coaxed. "But what?"

 

"But...," Joseph forced himself to say exactly what he'd swallowed, "just because you're the 'charismatic leader of the group' and have been running things for Kevin for a couple years doesn't mean you’re the leader of our group...." Hanging his head, Joseph winced. It did in fact sound just as terrible and petty as he'd imagined it would. From the stricken look on Barry's face, Joseph knew he'd been correct to avoid mentioning it. "Sorry, I mean, the profiles were out there, pretty easy to find... A lot of people read them," he added in a defensive tone, trading his discomfort at having read through years of this guy's therapist's notes for an attempt to put it in some sort of context that made what he'd done less... weird.

 

Raising his hands to scrub at his face, Barry said nothing for a long moment and Joseph was just about to leave when the man dropped his hands dramatically and sighed. "I just want this not to go to shit, ok?" he asked, looking sad. "I'm not trying to 'lead' anything... I just want us to work together. And I don't see anyone doing a particularly good job of 'leading' at the moment." The glance that caught him wasn't aggressive, but it was firm. Barry quickly added a smile to soften the statement. "Help me out here or I might get voted out by everyone and you'll wind up having to deal with Hedwig." There was a dramatic eye roll paired with this 'threat' and Joseph looked away, nodding.

 

"Yeah, I get it... I understand," taking another sip of his drink he now pushed off the counter and headed back into the room, head bowed.

 

* * *

 

Jude was now pretty sure it'd been a mistake to invite their new house guests over and wondered how difficult it was going to be to eject them. Instead of asking them to just get the hell out of there, she worked her jaw and explained for a second time in as vague of terms as possible how they'd come to be at the location. The girl Casey spoke up again, this time pointing out that they'd posted the video for anyone to see and that it shouldn't be surprising that more than just the Foundation had shown up. Jude appreciated the support even though David was probably just going to dismiss her again.

 

Chris's head swivel sharply in that weird way it did when she caught something. The motion attracted the Horde's attention and they looked up, polite smile already in place. "Can I have a glass of water?" the girl asked in a whisper. She blinked twice and then gestured vaguely at how the chairs had penned her in. With a smile they- he, got up and managed to squeeze past Casey's chair to join Joseph and Bethany in the kitchen. Jude rolled her eyes towards Chris and raised an eyebrow. The girl just ducked her head, refusing to meet her gaze.

 

"I'm just worried that they'll be able to find us here because of it," David said in what was perhaps meant to be a soothing voice. "I'm not accusing anyone of... anything." He looked around the group. "I just want-"

 

"Really, David?" Elijah Price asked and Jude was sure her gaze wasn't the only one jumping back and forth between the two. She didn't even know why she felt tense, it wasn't like the guy in the wheelchair was going to be able to do anything to the much fabled Prowler. "You want to know how they found a video online-"

 

"You've been locked away for twenty years, Elijah. I don't think you realize how-"

 

"He actually has a good point," Jude interrupted, raising a hand. This wouldn't be such a problem if David Dunn wasn't so right in all the lines of his questioning. Jude just didn't know how to handle these sort of questions. How to artfully explain things without saying anything. Young-mi had always done the talking when they met other operators. "Just... I need you to trust me. We're safe on that front but no, I'm not going to tell you how exactly we got there. I've got to, you know," she gave an uncomfortable shrug and looked around the table, "protect my sources...." Sam rolled his eyes but he hadn't bothered to step up for any of this so he could just shove it. The truth was she didn't know much about their source other than the fact that they hated to be spoke of and she feared any retributions that might rain down upon her should she mention even that much. Without Young-mi as their contact, she doubted she'd ever hear from them again, as long as she kept her mouth shut. 

 

The cry of "Bitch!" from the kitchen distracted everyone for a second and then Bethany returned looking as surely as she had when she'd lured the young man in there. She shuffled awkwardly down the table, tried to reach past the Casey girl but obviously couldn't fit nor reach and finally handed a glass and can to the girl to pass down. Jude scowled to find her drink already sampled but didn't bother commenting. She'd just pried her friend's hands off Richard's corpse barely an hour ago, the woman was owed some leniency.

 

"As if we could possibly discuss sources with _that woman_ under this roof," Bethany hissed, leaning over the table dramatically as she spoke before lowering herself back onto her chair. Once again, they were back to Dr Staple and Jude felt like they were running in circles. Bethany was clearly ready to launch into another bout on the matter when Casey picked up on the fact and headed her off with their already outlined protests.

 

The debate went on for a bit, David thankfully staying out of it this time, but was soon interrupted when Joseph stepped back into the room.  They shuffled about to make space as he squeezed back in to sit next to his father.

 

Bethany was, again, on the cusp of beginning some diatribe about their compromise when Joseph interrupted her, this time leaning forward and looking around the table earnestly. "I think we've been... really honest with you guys. Dad has shared- he's answered every question you guys have asked, very thoroughly. I think... it'd put us all at ease here if you would just tell us what you can do. Super power wise," he added unnecessarily. The look he wore was apologetic but from the expressions of the rest of his group the only person he needed apologize to was his father.

 

Of course Bethany made a sound of disgust and Jude tried not to take offense, difficult as that was. "Spoken like someone scared of those with super powers," she sneered at the young man. "Just like the doctor. Always trying to pin it down, to probe-"

 

"Bethany," Jude snapped, trying to get her friend back under control. The last thing she needed was the woman drawing incorrect parallels between their visitors and the Foundation. That was a quick way to help no one but the Foundation.

 

"I mean, you already know about most of us," Joseph gave her puppy dog eyes that she suspected worked on your average individual. The memory of this guy's head bobbing under her scope's crosshairs was too fresh in her memory however. It was more guilt than gullibility that had her turning to the group. The Horde now stood in the doorway to the kitchen but appeared content to just lean there and watch. In the back of Jude's mind she worried about an exit compromised but squashed it.

 

"Super animal strength, super strength and super touch, super... smart?" She said, pointing in turn to the the three escaped mental patients. Joseph nodded his head and the Horde raised a hand to quibble with her assessment, pointing out that only 'the Beast' had powers but Jude mostly ignored that. "The rest of you... just ... normal?" She waved a hand to indicate the other three and Joseph nodded again, his father's mouth compressed to a thin line. 

 

It took a great inner strength as she pointed to herself and said, "Normal." There was a pause and she was careful to soak up their reactions. The Dunns were surprised, Elijah disappointed, and the two ladies of the group surprised but she recognized and appreciated the respect mixed in with it. By the time her gaze jumped to the Horde they appeared only politely interested.

 

There was a long pause and Jude suddenly worried that this was where things fell apart. Sam and Chris looked to Bethany and she felt the cut of it. Would they not follow the lead of a 'normie'? She noticed the pair were holding hands and fought down a scowl. Now was not a time for their stupid hijinx.

 

"Super strong," Bethany muttered, before adding a bitter, "obviously. And I heal fast. Like... super fast." Tears welled up suddenly and she was crying again. "Richard, he-" she sniffled, "he was really strong. Great shot... and he could hurt or heal someone with his touch... He-" Thankfully the memory had her choking up and she fell silent. 

 

"I don't really have powers any more," Chris explained next, withdrawing her hand from Sam's and reaching up to brush her hair to the side. There was a sharp inhale from Casey as Chris revealed the thick scar that traced her scalp, normally hidden and easy to mistake for a fashionable undercut. "Used to hear voices all the time," she muttered, letting the hair fall back into place and looking down at her hands again clasping Sam's. "Now I just catch... occasional thoughts. Fragments." All their new guests appeared uneasy at this news and Jude was disappointed when the girl didn't mention her other ability. It made sense, knowing that someone was willing to lie and about what was just as important information as detecting the lie itself, but it set a definite barrier of trust up against these strangers.

 

"How?" Elijah breathed, gripping the armrest of his chair tightly. "Who?" His mother lightly place a hand on his shoulder as the man leaned forward though there was no threat of him toppling out of his chair quite yet. Chris flinched at this and it was Sam who replied for her.

 

"The Foundation, obviously. Chris, Max, and I were test subjects. Prisoners... certainly not patients... I was scheduled to go under the knife as well but then Young-mi broke us out." There was a pause, the pair squeezing hands and sharing a look, possibly more, before he continued. "And my power is... a weird head thing." There was a long pause and when it became clear that wasn't a satisfactory response he added, "I... can swap with people." 

 

That fact certainly rocked the group. There were cries of 'what?' and 'how?' as the room erupted with discussion.

 

* * *

 

Barry continued to try and project an aura of calm, smiling at everyone who looked his way and swallowing a number of exclamations of his own at all this new information. It was overwhelming and he didn't blame Kevin at all for ducking out on it. If he could trust anyone else at all with the Light he'd seriously consider bowing out as well. 

 

While he too wanted to understand exactly how this young man's power worked, he could see Elijah's excited grilling was making everyone uncomfortable, not just Sam. At least David had eased back, now choosing to give poor Joseph a hard, unwavering stare as the conversation flailed about. 

 

Thankfully a couple firm words from Dana and Barry asking about the last kid's power moved them forward, though from Elijah's steepled fingers he was sure the subject wasn't entirely behind them. When it was revealed Max's ability was to 'make people ignore him', it granted Barry a sense of relief. Every time he'd glanced at the kid he'd felt the prickling of a headache and knowing why now was just one less thing to worry about. There were still plenty of things to worry about.

 

Casey was rubbing her shoulder in a way that suggested the pain medication from this morning was wearing off. The girl looked around before staring at the wall clock for a long moment. Probably doing the math herself and realizing she had a couple more hours before she could have another pill, poor kid. The group had moved on, the strangers now narrating the exciting rescue that had brought the test subjects into their fold. The verbal stumbles where the story referenced their fallen friends were numerous, awkward silences following some heroic feat but a different member would pick up the tale and push forward. 

 

During this most the Raven Hill group seemed to hang on every word, everyone but Casey at least. Twice the girl looked back at him and he felt like she was trying to convey something with her meaningful glances but Barry had no idea what it might be. She hadn't touched the glass of water he brought her and he didn't think she wished for someone else in his place, at least he hoped that's not what those imploring expressions meant. Eventually, mid-description of how the security cameras had moved to point the way out to safety, the girl stood up and plucked at his sleeve as she headed into the kitchen.

 

"Honey, it's too soon for another pill," Barry immediately apologized, voice lowered. Casey shot him a confused glance and shook her head.

 

"I'm worried about the doctor," she whispered and Barry pulled back in surprise. "Elijah said she'd be fine for a while but..." she motioned to the oven clock. "It's been a while. And I'm really worried now that they're going to kill her after hearing... all that."  While Dr Staple had thankfully not been personally involved in the capture and experimentation on the strangers, the animosity towards the Fountain was near palpable in the room. Barry chewed on his lip, mirroring the girl's nervousness. The kid had a point and he didn't know what to do about it.

 

He made the mistake of voicing this aloud, getting no further than "I don't know..." Before he was rocked by a sudden surge of many people struggling to claim the Light all at once. It seemed quite a number of the group had strong opinions on what they should be doing and he'd just offered them the opening to voice their thoughts all at once. Of course it was Hedwig who managed to knock him fully from the Light.

 

"Dr Staple's a bitch," he lisped in frustration. "You shouldn't worry about her, Casey. You should listen to Patricia and let the scary ladies kill her." Casey fixed him with an angry stare and Hedwig leaned back, surprised. He'd seen Casey scared and sad and worried and once he'd even made her laugh but he hadn't seen her look so angry before, at least not like this. She was angry and disappointed and didn’t look sad at all.

 

"Hedwig, no. I... give Barry the Light back." Offended that the girl would side with someone lame and mean like Barry over himself, he shook his head and offered a muffled 'no'. "Hedwig," she warned. He wasn't sure what she'd do to him but he suddenly decided he didn't like Casey being angry at him.  Better to give the Light to someone used to getting yelled at.

 

Blinking, Dennis looked about the kitchen, surprised to be involved on such short notice. There was a long moment that stretched between him and the girl. She clearly knew she no longer looked upon Hedwig but Dennis wondered if she knew it was him. It suddenly occurred to him, a little too late, that perhaps he should have played at being Barry once again. 

 

"You probably vote to kill her too," the girl said, sounding almost sullen. Dennis found his attention had been caught by the crusted blood on the her hoodie and when his gaze jumped back to meet hers he realized she knew perfectly well who she spoke to.

 

"I- No, no I don't," Dennis replied. Perhaps he spoke too harshly, but he resented the constant doubts, the expectation of failed expectations. "Kevin has made it clear he wants her to live. Now I might not agree with that," he gave her a stern look before she could interrupt. "But I support Kevin in what he wants to do and," here he swallowed, uncomfortable, "what he thinks is right." There'd been so much in the last couple days. The hospital, the escape, the ambush. Kevin's return had been overshadowed in a way by the events that caused it and while there hadn't been a reckoning yet, Dennis sensed one would come soon enough. It was not something he was looking forward to.

 

He was insulted that Casey looked so surprised at this but thankfully the girl didn't harp on it. Nodding, she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Good. That's... good. I think..." she stumbled and looked away as Dennis licked his lip, eyes narrowed. Turning slightly and glancing back at the room, the girl finished in a firm voice. "I think someone needs to check in on the doctor. Actually stop the bleeding, make sure she's... I don't know, not in shock. I think that needs to be Mr Glass but he's not going to help her if everyone's still... planning."

 

"What, you want me to just grab his chair and wheel him into the other room?" Dennis asked, confused by the request but seeing some merit to it as he voiced the question. What was Elijah going to do to them? Dennis was already disillusioned in regards to the man even if Patricia wasn't, and he was doubtful of anyone's ability to negotiate with the man. 

 

"What? No," Casey said, sounding horrified for some reason. "No, I don't know... I mean... I just think that's what should happen, I don't... I just don't know how to get them to- to stop talking." She ran her fingers through her hair and Dennis frowned at its dirty, rather tangled state.

 

"What we need to do is clean up," Dennis muttered and felt pleased when he saw the girl nod her head. "You're filthy, I'm covered in..." he didn't finish the sentence, scowling instead at some dried blood around his nails. Whoever had washed them off had done a terrible job.

 

"Yeah, that's... that's a good reason to break. Call a timeout for showers and to let everyone cool down..." she smiled weakly at him. "Though I think it'd do better coming from you..." the way she bit her lip was distracting and Dennis found himself hanging more on her next words than perhaps he should have. "If you could just convince everyone that we should break for an hour, I think that'd be really helpful."

 

Dennis nodded his head before lifting his chin. "Yeah, sure. I can do that." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "I should update more often" says the author .... author then of course updates a month later.


	12. In a Mexican standoff no strategy exists that allows any party to achieve victory. As a result, all participants need to maintain the strategic tension, which remains unresolved until some outside event makes it possible to resolve it

It was surprisingly easy to break up the group. Dennis simply walked back into the room and stated that he couldn't handle the current situation he found himself in and that he at least was going to break to take a shower, if someone could just show him towards one. The statement was abrupt, interjected in the middle of David saying something, and seemed to stun them all for a moment before the strangers got up and offered reluctant apologies and showed him down a hallway. Dennis glanced over his guide's shoulder briefly, catching Casey's eye as he frowned, and then he was out of sight. 

 

"I suppose you'll want-" Jude started to ask but stopped when Casey shook her head and turned to glare at Mr Glass. 

 

"I want to make sure everyone's settled in first," Casey said with a smile. "And I was wondering if maybe the Mr Glass should check up on the doctor?" When the man simply scowled she added, "I unfortunately know exactly what she's going through right now and I would like you to at least patch her up, ok?" The way Elijah's eyes narrowed had her convinced he'd refuse for some reason but he simply jerked his head in the direction of where they'd secured the woman. He unlocked his wheels and rolled after Casey down the hallway.

 

"You know, if she lives someone will have to keep watch on her. Till we get rid of her. But we can't just let her run off now." Elijah spoke in a calm voice as they approached the doctor who sagged barely conscious in a chair. Casey just scowled and looked around, finding the supplies bag and bringing it to him unprompted.

 

"I'm sure... something can be worked out," She muttered, frowning at the wicked looking forceps he pulled out. Did he use those on her last time? Part of her mind skittered at the thought of assisting in what was about to happen, but it was overshadowed by the simple realization that it needed to be done. Her shoulder twinged and she now set about performing the tasks as he instructed them.

 

The doctor barely tried to fight the sedative, giving Mr Glass one cross-eyed glare before she went under. Casey found while she didn't enjoy looking at the open wound he worked at, she could tolerate it when required to do so. He had her soaking up blood or retrieving something when both his hands were occupied. At one point there was a spurting of blood and the there was a fresh stream of red running down the woman's shoulder once again. It was the first time Elijah swore but after a quick fumble he relaxed once again and the flow tapered off. He appeared to hold something for a moment, fingers buried in the woman's flesh, and caught the girl's eye. 

 

"I'm just saying, if I let go right now, the problem goes away... You could just walk out of this room and no one need know."  It was Casey's turn to narrow her eyes. Not bothering to dignify the suggestion with a response, she just waited in silence for him to continue his work. "And if you stayed and I did so, then what? You'd turn the Horde against me?" He seemed to almost pout at the very suggestion, even though he'd voiced it. In truth Casey didn't know what she'd do if he intentionally let the doctor die. She'd tell everyone, that was true, but it burned to have such an accusation thrown at her. Thankfully he seemed defeated by his own internal logic and with a sigh began to work again, saving the woman's life from whatever mistake he'd just made.

 

There was still much of the wound to be stitched up when Kevin returned. From the initially flippant, "I'm so sorry OH MY GOD!" backpedal out of the room it probably hadn't been Kevin at the time. Casey was surprised at their reaction, surely the sight of blood and gore was becoming familiar to them by now. After a moment and the sound of muffled whispers from the hallway, Dennis re-entered the room and offered a quick nod in greeting. Tight lipped he looked around their small workspace, posture rigid. "Is... Is there anything I can do to help?" he asked, rather bracingly. 

 

Elijah rolled his eyes dramatically at Casey, which she didn't appreciate. "Ah, thanks, I think we're... good here," she mumbled. Dennis nodded sharply once again and removed himself from the room at that.  Casey kept her eyes on Elijah's hands for a while afterwards, refusing to meet the man's gaze. She didn't think Dennis's offer to help was weird, in fact she appreciated it was him and not Patricia, but she was certain Elijah would somehow find something to say that would make it weird.

 

When Mr Glass had declared their work done, Casey was surprised to find Dennis waiting patiently in the hallway. It was with only mild alarm that she let herself be hustled to apparently "the best" of the guest bathrooms which were apparently the ones "they" had decided "they" should share and founded herself pushed towards a still steamy bathroom. She opened her mouth to try and interject a question but found Dennis had already excused himself from the room and the door closed behind him before she could speak. Blinking in surprise, Casey turned towards the shower with only minor confusion mixed in with relief. 

 

* * *

 

"The creepy guy 'guarding' the bedroom of his young victim while she showers?" Bethany muttered from the couch, arms crossed over belly. "Doesn't it make you just a little uncomfortable?" she looked around the group. "Are we really cool with that?" The girl, Chris, looked away from everyone and Joseph tensed. Thankfully nobody responded. He wasn't certain if he was included in that question or not, or if he wanted to be. He was glad his dad was washing up now and not out here to offer an opinion. Barry's comment about pissing contests suddenly seemed a lot more worrisome when he thought about his dad and Dennis coming to a disagreement about anything, but especially about the girl. “I don’t know about you guys,” Bethany added in a sullen voice, “I but I watched that Dateline episode….”

 

Joseph wished Dana would come back soon, the two of them had been waiting together for awhile and he felt her absence acutely. Being the only stranger in the group, and one of the few 'normals' on top of that, left him feeling awkward and on edge. She'd left him sitting alone on one of the couches, escorting Elijah to their room after the 'surgery' and Joseph feared he'd be alone until his dad finished. You would think a man who had an vulnerability to water would take brief showers but maybe he just had a really hard time managing it. All Joseph knew was that his father had never taken less than a fifteen minute long shower in his life and if you wanted hot water you got in there first.

 

Unsurprisingly, no doubt due to the cold water situation, the girl was done first. Casey and Dennis joined the group, evening out the numbers a bit better. The conversation had moved on but the uneasy, unanswered question still hung over the group and Joseph wasn't certain their company was an overall improvement.

 

Of course it was the subject of the doctor that set them off again. "I saw you," Bethany said, leaning forward and staring intently at Dennis. "You had your hands around her neck. Not 'you' you," she amended as Dennis blinked at her in surprise. "The 'Beast' you. You wanted to kill the doctor. Or he did." There was a painfully long pause. 

 

"I don't get it," Bethany continued, cocking her head to the side. "Aren't you... aren't you one of the serial killer ones?" the woman asked, rubbing her hands together. Jude choked on her her drink and Joseph's eyes widened. "You do what the Beast guy says, right? Why aren't you over in there putting a pillow over the face of Dr Bitchface? I mean... you've killed people before, why kill kids but not those who deserve it, huh?" The silence that hung in the room was more pregnant than the woman who caused it. Casey looked like she wished she had a knife to cut both with, but for all she glared at the woman, she said nothing.

 

Dennis slowly looked around the group and Joseph wondered if he'd remember Bethany was super strong should things get out of control. "I've made a mistake before," Dennis said in a flat voice. Before Bethany could interject he scowled and quickly continued. "And I don't mean Casey. Who I also- I mean Dr Fletcher," he licked his lower lip nervously and ran a hand over his scalp. "She was a good woman, she was trying to help us... I... I see that now, I understand and I wish..." He shook his head and glared fiercely at Bethany who seemed unable to defend her question in the face of the man himself. She looked rather like she regretted saying anything in fact. Dennis however seemed adamant on finishing his point. 

 

"I... I was convinced that Dr Fletcher need to die... So, no. I agree with them that that the Dr Staple lives," he nodded head in the direction of Casey and Joseph. "Because I've already been tricked once into killing an innocent woman. One that didn't deserve to die... Now a lot of you are saying this doctor should die... I already made the wrong choice once... seems kind of likely I'd do so again." He shook his head, and dropped his gaze finally. Bethenny seemed to sort of sag a bit in relief as the man turned away. "I trust Kevin's judgement but I also trust- I trust the group's logic," he said, smoothly covering his stumble at the end as he gestured again to Casey and Joseph. "They say the doctor lives. So I'm not going to let anyone hurt her." At that he glared once more at Bethany, who nodded sharply in understanding.

 

The silence that followed that was definitely awkward. "Soooo.... who wants to help me inventory our food supplies?" Jude asked with a friendly tone that sounded rather forced. Casey and Joseph leapt to volunteer and intentional or not, the normals excused themselves from the room, leaving the super tense super humans trading silent stares. 

 

* * *

 

As the afternoon began to bleed over to the evening, the tension in the house continued to rise as minor tasks and wandering conversations passed the time. David was of course enough of an ass to go so far as to actually say, "We should make a plan. Figure out a course of action," as if nobody else in the fucking room had thought of that yet. It wasn’t like he was volunteering any good ideas. Everyone was running on empty. Again Bethany was impressed with Mr Glass guy's ability to keep his cool. She imagined spending an hour, let alone days locked up with David would be unbearable. If Richard were here-

 

Bethany breathed in sharply, head snapping up and she stared out across the room. But Richard wasn't here. Wasn't coming back. She was going to have to deal with this, and not just this but the baby. There was a gentle roaring in her ears which slowly began to recede. As it did so she realized she could hear Jude saying her name, and in that way that said it wasn't the first time. There was a hand on her arm. Jude's, and she was talking, saying things about Richard. Nothing helpful, she wasn't saying anything helpful and Bethany just wanted her to stop so she rapidly nodded at all the right points and excused herself.

 

Young-mi had managed their medical stash, with Richard playing backup. There had been no backup backup and so, as with many things, Jude had just assumed command of the medical supplies. Scrubbing at her nose with the back of her palm she wound her way down to see not the actual doctor in residence, but rather one of her keepers. The Mr Glass guy certainly seemed to lack any sort of scruples which might prohibit him from offering her a tribute to help numb the pain just a bit. A peace offering to their hosts, like any reasonable guest would do. 

 

* * *

 

"It's... It's just been a day, you know?" Jude said, eyes flicking back and forth across the faces of their surprise guests. "I asked Bethany to stay with Max and I tonight and we moved out Young-mi's stuff out so... you guys can have those two rooms. And, ah, the couch folds out or something I think. Just..." 

 

They started exchanging looks and it was all just too much. Young-mi would have known what to say, how to say something polite but vaguely threatening. Something to keep them in line and make them respect her for it.  Jude's eyes fluttered closed for a moment and she drew a bracing breath. "Just... we need some time. And space. But we know you guys don't have anywhere else to go so... how about we just take a little breather, ok? Just..." 

 

Jude opened her eyes and was thankful that nobody seemed to have taken her little outburst the wrong way. She nodded and backed a couple steps down the hall. "How about we just... give it a break until morning, ok? I think everyone's had a... very hard day and we'll all be thinking clearer tomorrow." There were nods of various degrees of enthusiasm or reluctance to this plan.

 

Nodding once more Jude backed down the hall. The early dinner had just been finished and the dishes not even addressed but they all agreed. It was almost the winter solstice and sunset well before five so it didn't feel that weird to retire to one's room, she told herself as she slipped through the bedroom door and locked it behind her.

 

* * *

 

They all exchanged silent glances. It was like a Mexican standoff though no one had weapons on hand except for a couple of the hands themselves, which were quite deadly weapons. Elijah's eyes darted about the room. Casey edged closer to Horde ever so minutely. You knew they had been trying their best to put a good face forward, the fop Barry was smiling nervously at everyone. Trying their hardest to prove they were playing nice. Too bad more individuals weren't as cooperative. 

 

"Elijah and Ms Price, you can take one room, Casey can have the other, and then the rest of us-" 

 

"What?" and "You've got to be kidding me," tripped over each other and more before David waved his hand. "Casey and Ms Price-" he tried to dictate and there were immediately more complaints. 

 

"I think it's rather clear, Mr Dunn, that Kevin and I took that first room," the girl glared at David, hands on hips. "We can take in Dr Staple if we need to. But I don't think you get to decide who is sleeping where, ok?" Elijah almost dragged a hand over his face in despair. David's absolute failure to succeed at anything was an ongoing sore subject. To witness first hand how the man had botched such a basic maneuvering was just.... embarrassing.

 

Of course David postured a bit, muttering a "fine" and "of course" and some explanation of how he was just suggesting ideas and wasn't trying to boss anyone around convinced no one. When he quickly demanded that Dr Staple be relinquished into his control the girl rolled her yes and shrugged her shoulders to indicate she didn't care. The two them looked to Elijah. He perked up at that and pretended to consider the idea before nodding smartly in agreement. He really didn't care, either way the woman was going to survive the night that was the only fact that bothered him.

 

With that tedious bookwork out of the way, Elijah wondered if they were going to get down to planning, but no. Everyone at this point cited being tired or shot or injured. Somehow they cared more for sleeping on soft beds rather than firm plans. Elijah couldn't imagine getting a moment of shut eye, his mind buzzing with ideas and thoughts and new information. 

 

Thankfully no one seemed to have picked up on the fact that all their equipment had been left in the room he'd be claiming. The doctor was bustled out and that was that, he was left alone in the room with his mother and all the digital equipment they could want.

 

Before he could say anything, his mother held up the Airbnb guest book and flipped it open to the first page which had large, easy to read instructions on how to connect to the guest wifi. 

 

With a smile, Elijah unlocked his wheels and rolled over to the table.


	13. Academic literature has not produced consensus on a standard definition of "perfect information" which defines whether games with chance, but no secret information, and games with simultaneous moves are games of perfect information

"Dad!" Joseph hissed, the moment the door closed behind the Horde. David managed to tear eyes off the plain wooden frame that he could easily splinter in his hands and glared at his son. "Dad, what the hell? You need to chill out."

 

David's eyes darted to the sagging form of Dr Staple. When they'd moved her, she hadn't been that responsive but she could have been play acting for all he knew. "Joseph, now is not really an-"

 

"I don't care if Dr Staple hears," the boy snapped, throwing up his hands. "She already knows. We all know, Dad! You need to chill out!" Running his fingers through his hair, Joseph stared at David with a sad expression. "Dad, I'm scared too, ok? But..." David turned away, not wanting to hear the rest of what Joseph had to say.

 

"I'm not-" he choked on his words, "I'm worried about the doctor overhearing something because it makes our odds of survival after this a lot lower." It felt like a personal blow that David could not mimic his son's gesture. No hair left on his head to run through, just another reminder that he was an old man, past his prime. All these youth running around and he was the only one left to act like an adult. Elijah certainly not counting as a good influence. "I'm worried we're not thinking longer term here, Joseph."

 

"I'm worried we won't make it longer term," Joseph whispered, dropping his voice as he remembered anyone could press an ear to a door and listen, never mind the fact that there were fucking telepaths on the premise. It'd taken years, and Elijah's help, for David to believe he could read people with a touch. The idea someone could just hear his thoughts was not a hard next step to take. Believing it was possible however was quite another thing from being comfortable with the idea. "If you don't chill out and help make peace," Joseph added "you're going to get us all killed." Biting back a sharp retort to that, David paused for a moment and took a deep breath as he reminded himself who was the parent and who was the child. It was understandable Joseph couldn't think through everything, and he did have a point.

 

"I'm sorry," David forced himself to say. The years of therapy Aubrey had requested they go through in order to make it all work had left some permanent marks. He couldn't change his ways, but he at least could acknowledge them. "I... am scared too," he added. "I just... this is different than when I would go out on patrol," he added, suddenly hoping he could explain the breadth of the problem to Joseph. "It's not like I'd never get scared- we've talked about this. It's scary to go out there, looking for trouble, but it's what I have to do. And I do it, and then... it'd be over. It'd stop. But Joseph," David ran a hand over his head and looked around the living rooms. "This isn't going to stop. Do you realize that? What's happened?"

 

The irritation in his son's face drained away and left only sadness. "I know, Dad. I know," he mumbled, leaning in to wrap his father in a hug. A flash struck David as he did so, Joseph struggling with the doctor. The scene seemed to linger far too long even though it only took a couple of seconds for Joseph trap the woman in the choke hold David had taught him. Thankfully it didn't last till she passed out, but he vividly witness the woman's nails rake across his son's cheek just before it ended.

 

David closed his eyes and held himself stiffly. It wasn't the first time since the escape that he'd caught a flash, when Joseph had initially collided with him he'd witnessed his son training a gun on Casey. Never before had his powers shown him anything when touching Joseph. "It's ok to be afraid," his son mumbled and there followed a patting on the back, as if David were suffering through some emotional breakthrough. In truth he struggled to contain his mounting horror at what they'd gotten themselves into and what it was going to do to them. The madness and chaos had begun to stain even his son.

 

* * *

 

Barry offered her a weak smile as he leaned back against the closed door. "I mean, you saw," he muttered, gesturing to his shoulder as he struggled to justify his excuse for wanting to turn in early. "Super strength only gets you so far. And that Beast, you know, he acts all tough and strong but I don't see him bearing the aftermath of his rampages... not that I'm suggesting the Beast emerge," he hastily amended, watching warily as the girl paced the room. There was an elephant in the room, in the shape of a single queen bed. Barry knew he should say something but worried whatever he said would set off chaos within the group. To the best of his knowledge, no one had spoken to the girl about their exact sleeping arrangements last night.

 

It took her reaching out and touching a pillow, testing the firmness, for him to break. "We'll sleep on the floor," he assured her, wringing his hands. "I mean, I'm already bruised all over, what's a hardwood floor to that?" he added with a shaky laugh and then caught himself. Did that sound like he was making an argument for why he should sleep in the bed? "I mean," he quickly corrected himself, "If I could just have a couple of the pillows and blankets, the floor's no problem at all. I mean, step up from that warehouse, yeah?" His weak laugh faded out as she just looked at him, head tilted to the side.

 

"Why don't we just share?" she asked, far too reasonably and Barry flinched as several individuals tried to make their opinion known. "I mean, you're not...." she gestured vaguely in his direction. "You're not going to do anything, right? It's big enough, I'll just stay on this side. It's winter, Barry. You'll freeze if you sleep on the floor. And if anything happens, I mean... Hedwig slept on the cots a couple times." 

 

The horror that rose within him at the idea of 'anything happening' warred with the disgust at the extent of Hedwig's misbehavior and the battle must have been write clear across his face because she hastened to add, "I mean, if one of us rolls over or something while sleeping... I'm not going to freak out or anything. I trust you- all of you to, you know... not make it weird." From the defensive mutter she finished in, he felt the clear accusation that they'd already done so. 

 

"Right, yeah... ahhhh...." He looked around the room, licking his lip nervously. "If you'll excuse us, me, for a second...." He slipped into the bathroom and immediately sagged against the bathroom sink. It was sometimes difficult to maintain the Light while conversing with the group when so many people were talking. There were opinions on this plan, there were opinions on alternative plans, there were opinions about tomorrow's plans, there were opinions about all these other super people, and most importantly there were opinions about the girl in the other room. 

 

It was a struggle, but Barry managed to assess the situation and collect a reasonable amount of feedback to weigh into his decision. Unfortunately Kevin was so torn between wanting the Light and fearing all the ways things could go wrong this evening that he remained paralyzed. Hedwig of course wanted the Light which Barry would not stand for. Either could disrupt whoever was in the Light, including the other, which meant they had to agree upon a nomination for this to work. Dennis and Patricia were discarded by Barry and Orwell and Norma rejected by Hedwig. Eventually they managed to settle on Jade, Luke expressing shock and offense that he'd been rejected by both sides of the argument.

 

When Jade eventually poked her head out of the room, she found Casey sitting on the bed, watching expectantly. She bit her lip and stepped the rest of the way out. "I'd hoped you'd fall asleep or something before we got out," she mumbled, working her way around the bed to gingerly sit on the far side. "Jade," she added, sticking out her hand. "Your nominated bed companion." The way Casey's lip twitched, it seemed like the smile her joke earned was both reluctant and genuine. Score. 

 

"You've only been in there for ten minutes," Casey mumbled, tucking her hair behind her ear after the tentative hand shake. "I'm not... actually tired."  Twisting, she looked back at Jade who was gingerly lowering herself flat on her back. The mattress had a nice amount of give and Jade let out a happy sigh of relief despite herself. 

 

"Well... I am," Jade replied. After laying there for a moment with her eyes closed she added, "Well, I'm physically tired. My brain feels like it's going a mile a minute." There was another long pause and she cracked an eye open to look at the girl. The lights were all on in the room and Casey still perched on the edge of of the bed, hands folded in her lap. "How you holding up?" she asked carefully. There was a long moment of silence and Jade bit her lip, worrying she'd overstepped some line.

 

"I'm... doing ok," Casey replied carefully. "I..." The girl ducked her head and Jade waited. "It's good to know," she mumbled. "To know you're ok. I was worried.... before." 

 

"Before," Jade repeated, equally carefully. There was a nod and the girl rubbed her arm. She still sat on the edge of the bed, facing away so it was hard for Jade to get a good read on her.

 

"After...." the girl trailed off, effectively outlining the period of time. Jade felt like a lot more could be said on that but the girl only asked, "How are you doing?" in return. 

 

"I... " Jade drew a deep breath and sat up on the bed, tucking her legs under her. "I just wanted to thank you. For coming back," she bit her lip again, nervous but wanting to say it. "We're all really sorry for everything that's happened to you but.... it really meant a lot to Kevin. Means a lot to Kevin. And- I- Yeah..." The girl had twisted about during this and now sat facing her. Those wide eyes stared into hers and Jade gulped.  "Orwell and Barry and some of the others gave me a hard time when I 'turned'...." she resisted the urge to use air quotes at the phrase, one of Orwell's. "They... they didn't, couldn't come around to... to seeing that maybe... I'm not saying we should have killed anyone- I'm really sorry about your friends."

 

Now the girl opened her mouth, as if to say something, but Jade hurried on. "I tried so hard to help you and your friends-" Jade felt her voice wobble and cursed herself "-and I feel so sorry for what happened to you, but knowing that- that you forgave us.... Them. Him." Blinking, Jade turned away and laughed weakly as she fanned at her eyes. "Listen to me, I'm sounding all crazy. You'd think I'm Patricia," she said, laughing weakly.

 

Casey continued to just stare at her, blinking twice as Jade got up and paced the room. Dennis had already organized everything so there wasn't even a mess to clean up or an excuse to do anything. Casey switched on the bedside lamp on Jade's request. Turning off the lights, Jade forced herself to return to the bed and lay down once again. She wanted to reach over and shake the girl. To ask her what was going on inside that head of hears. As thankful as Jade was- as they all were- she still couldn't understand why Casey had done it. And if she regretted the decision now.

 

"I believed," Casey mumbled and Jade felt herself tense up, fearing teh girl would continue and that she wouldn't. "I believed the Beast could- could do those things. And that- I couldn't imagine-" The sheets Jade had climbed under twitched as Casey nervously wound her hands through the fabric. "And when he- he looked at me. I-" The girl shook her head and clammed up. 

 

"You...?" Jade prompted, unable to help herself. She knew she'd have Kevin's gratitude- the whole groups' gratitude if she was the one to figure out why the girl had come back for them. Hedwig had tried to ask before but the girl was always so good at deflecting. 

 

Caseys' lower lip trembled and tears were in her eyes as she shook her head, looking down. Jade was worried that was all she'd get but eventually the girl continued in a wobbly voice. "Sorry, it's just a little weird. I don't- I don't know you. I mean, there was stuff in the news... I've read about you. But... " the girl's eyes darted about the room.

 

"Were you expecting Barry...?" Jade asked in confusion, more than a little hurt. The girl quickly shook her head and raised a hand.

 

"No no, I mean... talking abotu the Beast is just..," color stained her cheeks. "I guess I'm just used to talking to some of the others about Him..." With a slow blink of her eyes, Jade struggled to maintain the Light and tried not to show it. There was a scuffle between Hedwig and Barry where the boy argued this clearly indicated Casey would rather be with one of the three of Them and Barry continued to put his foot down that such an ideas was not acceptable. The roar in her ears receded and Jade was able to follow again what Casey was saying. "... but I'd be happy to talk about other things," the gil seemed to conclude with, offering Jade a gentle smile. 

 

"Ah, yeah, sure," she mumbled, blinking more rapidly and looking about the room. Something else to talk about, something else to talk about. "Soooo.... " Something neutral. Something friendly. "How about...." Jade licked her lips and fumbled for an idea that wouldn't be embarrassing, mortifying, or horrifying. "Dr Staple?" she asked with a wince. That one probably didn't pass all three checks but was at least better than mentioning any of the alters. "I hear you helped save her life?" Casey pulled a face but did reluctantly, and then with growing enthusiasm, offered up a retelling of the operation, which then lead to a recounting of her own which lead into a a discussions of needs which Jade was always game for. Somehow by the time they eventually did turn off the light, it was certainly a reasonable hour to go to sleep. Might almost count as late, in fact, Jade thought, a smile on her lips as she curled around her pillow. 

 

* * *

 

Max was gone in the morning. Casey would have expected more of his friends to be concerned about this but Jude just appeared frustrated. There wasn't even a suggestion of attempting to look for him, the only question in regards to his absence was Bethany checking to make sure the boy hadn't had an opportunity to talk to the doctor at any time.

 

"It's fine if he just wanted to go," the woman explained to Casey as she stood over the stove and prepared an unappealing looking pot of oatmeal for their collective breakfast. "But if the doctor fucked with his head, then I'd be worried. I mean, she-" The ominous sounding start to some hidden secret amongst the group was cut off as Bethany apparently changed her mind on sharing it- perhaps she was trying to keep things peaceful. Instead the woman gave Casey a weak smile and just turned her full attention towards her cooking.

 

Irritated, Casey had retreated to the living room, bypassing the dining room where Jude and David already hunched, heads together and a sheet of paper between them. There was a couch that Joseph currently occupied and Casey awkwardly claimed the other half of it. She'd left Jade sleeping and there was no sign of Chris or Sam or Ms Price yet. She only half returned the smile Mr Glass flashed at her. Of everyone, he was disgustingly chipper this morning and it put Casey on edge. 

 

There was something about his posture, a certain aura of smug radiating from him behind steepled fingers that told her something was up. The bleary eyed Joseph, who Casey realized was probably performing a sort of guard duty over the man on his father's request, did not seem to have clued into it at all. It meant when the doorbell rang there was a surprised yelp from Joseph while Casey just frowned at Mr Glass.

 

"Go on, answer it," the gloating old man coached her, still smiling as several others piled in to the room. Jude was holding a pistol and David's fists were dramatically clenched but Casey just sighed and did as she was bid.

 

Of course there was no threat on the other side of the door. Just a tattooed young man with several boxes at his feet and a distracted expression. Casey hoped Jude kept the gun out of sight and didn't open the door very far just in case. It didn't seem like the Raven Hill memorial escape had been widely broadcast but she didn't want to take any chances.

 

"Jeanie Cash?" The man asked but before she could answer he gestured at the boxes and then handed over his phone. There was a large blank section of the screen above the word signature and Casey made the vaguest 'signature' she'd ever done in her years of forgories. 

 

The man didn't even look at it, just accepted the phone back and headed towards his van that had a massive corporate logo plastered on the side. Bethany tugged the door open further and watched as he drove off.

 

"You're shitting me," the woman muttered and then looked down at the boxes. Casey sighed and picked one of them up to haul inside. "Well I can't lift anything," she heard Bethany add and then Joseph and David were carrying in the remaining items. 

 

At this point Hedwig shuffled into the room, rubbing at his eyes with the exaggerated motions of a sleepy youth. "What's going on?" He mumbled in his soft lisp and looked around expectantly. As Casey wrestled the box open, thanking Jude for the knife she produced from somewhere, everyone leaned in expectantly. Everyone other than Mr Glass that was, who now was full on smiling. There had been guest toothbrushes and supplies as part of the Airbnb accommodations and Casey wondered if Elijah had simply forgone them or after years of being institutionalized his teeth were just permanently like that. With a shudder, she looked away from the man and into the box's contents. 

 

"Woah! This is great!" Hedwig cried, elbowing past her to dig into the layer of various snack foods that had been heaped into the box and sat atop several other, smaller boxes. They'd all eaten sparingly last night and she hoped no one blamed him as he tore open the wrapper on some energy bar and bit into it with excessive enthusiasm. He smiled at her and gave a happy hum as he chewed but the sound reminded her a little too much of the Beast's growl and watching his jaw work turned her stomach. Knowing it was Hedwig didn't help, it just added to her sudden confusion and uncomfortable feelings.  She quickly stepped away, Sam moving in to take her spot next to the box and doing his own digging.

 

Joseph pulled out a sweater from the box he'd carried in, the coloring and size looking ridiculous as he held it before himself in mild confusion. "I didn't know what size you were," Elijah murmured, "but our friend assured me they'd fit you." Casey blinked in surprise, realizing that the man was talking to her and mutely accepted the sweater when Joseph handed it over. Jude had lent her the shirt she'd slept in last night and wore still. With an unconcealed frown, Casey found herself deeply distrusting the fizzy pink thing she now held.

 

Casey refused to be confused because she knew that's what Elijah was looking forward to. It seemed she wasn't the only one, or at least, others understood better what was going on. Jude scowled a tense conversation was had between her and Bethany about how the woman had apparently "given away their contact" to Elijah.

 

"It's not 'giving away' when we don't even really know anything," Bethany snapped. "And how can I 'give away' to folks who are 'on our team' as you keep claiming." The woman wrapped her arms around her stomach and seemed to almost sulk, meeting no one's eye and quite unimpressed with their windfall. "Young-mi usually lined up better things than this..."

 

"Young-mi had to pay for what we got. I thought we agreed to pool expenses and not-" Jude’s angry voice cut short as a phone in Mr Glass's breast pocket began to ring.

 

"Oh, excuse me. I think this might be our friend," he said, pulling the vibrating device from his coat and placing it on the coffee table between the couches. With a smile, he swiped his gloved finger across the screen and the call connected.

 

"What's up, fellow superheros?" a crackling, digitally distorted voice sang out from the phone. "I love what I've been hearing from Mr Glass. My peace offering just reported as delivered so I thought I'd give you all a ring and introduce myself. You're probably pretty confused right now, but I promise I'll explain everything."

 

Jude was dramatically rolling her eyes during this bizarre opening. She must have caught Mr Glass grinning, the old man was looking far too smug, because she stepped towards the phone, eyes narrowing. "I thought you didn't do pro bono work?" she asked their caller, head tipping slightly in an echo of the question. "Unless Mr Glass here was holding out some very important details during our meeting yesterday, there's no way he could have afforded your rates." 

 

The chuckle that emanated from the device was warped, clipped at points, and quite unpleasant. "Yeah, well, I charge what the client care bear. What can I say? And I wasn't joking- I like this Mr Glass's style. Everybody is all 'hide hide hide'... and- as a digital expert I am all about security, I get that- but we gotta' dream big someday. He's the first guy I've seen who tried to make a move- twice even, when you think about it."

 

"So you sent us gifts?" it was Patricia's clipped voice that asked the question. It somehow held amusement and contempt and boredom, all packed in five words alone. She took the pink sweater from Casey and wrinkled her nose.

 

"Well he was telling me about what dire straits you guys were in," the voice sounded almost confused. Elijah arched an eyebrow wordlessly at Jude who seemed to wince this. "I'm- I'm sorry, Jude. About Young-mi. I warned you guys. You can't say I didn't warn you." The murderous look the woman shot the phone suggested that she very much wanted to, but she stayed silent. "You know how hard it is to detect the legit stories lost in all the crazies. You wanted the Staple woman and I delivered. I want to make it clear that I always deliver," the voice twisted suddenly with the last phrase, shifting unnaturally from somber to uplifting and cheery. This was followed by another disturbing digital crackle. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shout out to read Emm, who's very nice comment the other week kicked me in the butt and reminded me I had half a chapter already written, just laying around.


	14. In game theory a move by nature is a decision or move in an extensive form game made by a player who has no strategic interests in the outcome

"So, yeah, he was telling me about you guys and I decided I want in." Elijah nodded to himself, smiling in clear delight at the mysterious caller's words. Everyone had formed a sort of semi circle around the man and the device before him, some hanging back but most pressing forward as if they could learn more by being nearer to the source of the sound. 

 

"In on what?" David asked after a long pause. He exchanged looks with Joseph and then with Jude who now finally appeared as bewildered as everyone else. Joseph was still confused as to exactly who they were talking to, but he got the impression their host didn't like them and Mr Glass did. He didn't need his dad's paranoia to know that was a bad sign. It seemed he wasn't the only one who had reached this conclusion. Casey leaned forward and whispered something into Barry's ear. The man shuddered and Joseph was certain it was no longer Barry standing across from him.

 

"In on the superhero thing!" The electronic distortion masking the caller's actual voice growled through the word `hero` yet spiraled up to a squeak as they finished speaking. He braced himself for another unpleasant peal of laughter but instead there was a pause that suggested sincerity or at least genuine enthusiasm.

 

"You want to be a superhero?" Casey asked, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and exchanging worried looks with whichever Horde member was in charge at the moment. She reached out a hand towards them- so probably Kevin- but snatched it back when he twitched and his head swung back towards the phone with a sinuous motion. 

 

"Why should we let you join us if we don't know who you are?" Kevin spoke in the cloying voice of Patricia and Joseph winced slightly. Things weren't going well if Patricia was the one in control. Joseph looked about the huddled group, hoping someone more... reasonable would take charge of the conversation. Now the cackling laugh came and Jude took a step away from the device, literally giving ground to Patricia.

 

"I've got a superhero name and everything," the voice laughed, full of glitches, "And by everything I mean, you know, powers."

 

"Obviously," Patricia dryly replied, hand coming up to rest on her throat. Elijah frowned slightly but Joseph was surprised to see his dad just nodding in response to this. "Tell us who you are or we're smashing this phone right now," the Horde instructed in a brisk voice and Casey inhaled sharply. Elijah's frown turned into a more wide eyed expression as he looked about the group. 

 

"You can't-" Elijah started to say, reaching for the device the moment David moved to place his hand on it. It sounded like the person on the other line said something but it was muffled by David's wide palm and both of Elijah's hands as they wrapped around his father's.

 

"Let go, Elijah," David said in a calm voice and Joseph felt the hairs on the back of his arm stand up. He didn't think it was related to any specific unnatural power, just the tension of the room dialing up to an unbearable point quite suddenly. Jude stepped back again, joining her three other companions who had already let themselves get crowded out of the way. Joseph didn't know if he was thankful or worried that Mrs Price continued to stand against the wall, apparently unwilling or simply unable to intervene on behalf of her son.

 

With a smile and lightly fluttering hands, Patricia reached forward and wrapped her fingers lightly around Elijah's wrists. "Now now, Mr. Glass," she murmured. "Best to give Mr. Dunn the phone, yes?" There was a long pause during which Joseph could just barely make out the tiny digital voice squawking in confusion.

 

"-cking hell is going on!?" the voice suddenly could be heard as Elijah released his grip and David slid the phone to his side of the table. Patricia and Elijah had locked gazed, she smiling at the man while his expression remained blank. 

 

"Just having a discussion here," David said, still speaking in that slow, steady voice he used when he was trying to control a situation. Joseph let out a breath when Patricia released Elijah's wrists, which somehow still appeared to be intact. "We've come to the agreement that if you don't drop the game and talk to us, we're hanging up."

 

"I don't recall agreeing to that-" Bethany muttered from the back of the room and Casey looked over to her. The girl was biting her lip, appearing to be about as nervous as Joseph felt. Jude put a hand on the pregnant woman's arm and no one else said anything. 

 

"Jesus fucking christ," a woman's voice muttered on the other side of the line after a painful stretch of silence. There was a surprised inhale from Jude at the sound of a normal human voice. "Mr Glass said you guys would be fucking kill joys and he was not joking." There was a sort of smug smirk from the old man but he remained silent as he leaned back in his chair and gripped the armrests.

 

Patricia and David exchanged a glance, both frowning slightly. Patricia inclined her head a fraction and David leaned forward, speaking, "And who are we talking to?"

 

"Cadence," a voice muttered after another long stretch. "And don't bother asking for a last, I always worry about keyword detection on calls, don't want to trip anything too specific."

 

David nodded his head and Patricia spoke, "Very good, now you've properly introduced yourself. You clearly know who we all are, so we can skip past that half of the introduction. What exactly is the purpose of this call?" 

 

"An audition?" the woman either said or asked, Joseph wasn't quite clear.

 

"Depending on how this call went, I was planning on hopping on a flight in two hours, landing over there in four," Cadence confessed. "I'm serious. This team up idea is going to be awesome. The fuckers tipped their hand. I didn't think Dr Staple's spiel was the real deal but after the shit show that your hand off resulted in I went back and dug a bit harder into those details she spilled in that first video and-"

 

Joseph was a little dizzy at the speed of the caller's speech and hadn't quite caught up with what she'd said when his father interjected, "Where are you now?"

 

"Where am I? You think I'm that stupid? You can go fuck yourself," the voice snapped. Her next word was cut off by Patricia leaning forward and pressing the End Call button. Elijah and several of their hosts errupted with protests at this but David and Patricia just shared a silent stare. Joseph swallowed, worried at what might happen but his dad again just tipped his head slightly. 

 

"The girl asked Kevin," Patricia murmured in response, rolling her eyes and nodding over her shoulder towards Casey, "to handle the situation." She spoke softly and Joseph could barely hear her over the protests of the others. Elijah was shouting about reasonable behavior and it seemed Jude was preemptively holding Bethany back. "He agrees with her that Elijah should perhaps not be able to run his little... circus." She pursed her lips, arching an eyebrow at David. The phone rang again and everyone immediately fell silent. Patricia glared over David's shoulder at the huffing pregnant woman when he leaned forward and accepted the call.

 

"Is it the swearing? This isn't going to work if you can't handle swearing," the voice immediately started with when the call connected.

 

"Tell us-" David began to repeat but she cut him off.

 

"Hey- I'm only willing to go so far. You don't need to know that little detail. I am willing to drop everything and help out your cause, isn't that enough?"

 

"Why the fuck are you helping them when you never helped us?" Jude suddenly asked, pushing forward. Patricia leaned back, making space for the woman as she glanced over her head and exchanged another look with David. Joseph was relieved the two weren't fighting but he was starting to get a little uneasy at the degree of silent communication apparently going on between them. 

 

"Because they're talking about doing something interesting," the voice snapped. "Jude, you guys worked security. You made money," her voice twisted the word, the disdain it carried seemingly surprising the woman. "Ok, yeah, sure," the voice jumped ahead as if the speaker could see Jude opening her mouth, "you guys all wanted to get revenge on someone. You know how many of my clients want to get 'revenge'?"

 

"She was experimenting on us!" Bethany cried from the back of the room. Casey seemed to drift further away from everyone at this. The ongoing argument from the other night, avoided till now this morning, threatened to rear its ugly head again when David thankfully intervened. 

 

"What sort of 'interesting' thing have we been talking about?" David drawled, turning to look at Elijah. He raised an eyebrow and the old man simply twisted a lip up in a smirk, saying nothing. 

 

"Helping the Broken," the voice answered, in an alarmingly rapturous way. "Reaching out, rising up. Gathering together." Everyone exchanged rather wide eyed looks at this, even Patricia. 

 

"You... you said 'first video'," Casey spoke in the silence that followed this fevered claim. "Before- before." She shot Patricia a glare, who simply shrugged in return. "We've only uploaded one video," she explained, meeting several still confused looks.

 

"I uploaded the other two," the now cheerful voice explained. "I mean, Mr Glass is hella' smart, no offense meant. But I could distribute those babies a little further, a little cleaner than you guys can with your current setup. 

 

"What other two?"

 

* * *

 

Casey wanted to break the man's hands. She wanted to reach out and just flick a brittle arm of his and make him hurt. Distract him with what it was like being a real person and make him stop. Knowing she could just made it more tempting, more terrifying. She'd been as stone silent as Patricia during the reveal that Elijah had cut together more of the footage they'd filmed the other night, as well as what had been captured during the failed handoff. 

 

Of course she knew they'd meant to upload it, but she'd thought they'd get a say in the process. Mr Glass had gone ahead and just 'figured it all out' for them and taken it out of their hands. She worried what Patrica and the Beast would do having their first convert. Somehow she doubted Cadence really understood what the Beast's message meant. Of course, she herself had grappled with the idea. She hadn't intentionally uprooted her life to help him the way it sounded this Cadence wanted to do, but that didn't meant she understood less or was not as moved.. 

 

"And how are we doing this?" David asked, wrestling control of the conversation back and staring hard at Patricia as he spoke. His expression had been softening earlier but apparently a reminder of the Beast's 'protection' had reset whatever progress he'd been making. Patricia for her part simply continued to stand still, finger resting on lifted child, and coldly matching the man's gaze. 

 

"By being superheros," the overly excited voice said, the suggestion turning Casey's stomach. "You know, fighting crime! Working together for a greater good!"

 

"Fighting crime?" David repeated, frowning and looking around the group. Patricia turned away and Casey saw the crease between her brow.

 

"Yeah! I mean, the Prowler was already starting to make an impact but those girls though have been singing your fucking praise and there have already been two reports-"

 

"Wait-" Raising his hand, David looked almost alarmed. "I don't-"

 

"Oh come off it," the voice laughed. "I know you're the Prowler- most major media outlets already did but I- and they- saw the footage. You, David Dunn, are The Prowler and so much more." There was a dip to the voice that had Casey's eyebrows raising, and Patricia appeared to be mirroring the expression. The two shared a quick look, and Patricia frowned. Casey blushed and looked away, unsure exactly why she felt embarrassed but once again wishing someone else would take the Light. She understood why Kevin had felt Patricia might be the most helpful at the moment but she wished the moment would pass.

 

"You wish to flaunt your skills, whatever they might be, to protect the Broken... by fighting crime?" Patricia murmured, skepticism heavy in her voice. "How... convenient."

 

There was a long awkward pause that followed that. "Fuck you," the voice muttered before quickly adding, "Don't hang up again. You two aren't the only morally righteous super powered individuals... but you're some of the only ones. I don't think you understand how long I've waited for someone who wanted to do more with.... _this_ than just, you know, rob an even bigger bank." 

 

There was an angry mutter from the otherwise silent side of the room and Casey glanced over. She got the very clear impression one of them had suggested robbing a bank and though Bethany was stone faced, staring at the phone as everyone was, Casey suspected it had been her idea. Certainly seemed like something the crazy woman would suggest.

 

"There's a trigger element related to trauma," the voice continued, "to kick start a lot of our powers... so looking out for the Broken is one of the best ways to look out for- and find- more like us." Patricia hand was again at her throat and she seemed to almost tremble. "And I mean us- like supers but also us- like... like..." there was a heavy sigh from the other end of the line and a pause that, though brief, Casey realized was the first hesitation she'd heard from this Cadence. "That still want to reach out and help. Turns out that's almost as rare as having the powers. Double odds against us, you know?"

 

"Bull shit," Jude snapped, which Casey was rather thankful for. There was something about this individual, the mad enthusiasm, the commitment to a cause they probably didn't understand, that made Casey very suspicious. "You've always operated remotely and unknown before. We stumble across these id- these folks and you're suddenly all in? Young-mi said she worked with you for _years_ and you never even told her your fucking name." There were tears in the woman's eyes and her fists were clenched as she spoke. Knowing she wasn't going to flip out and super smash something or demonstrate some strange new power made it easier to feel sympathetic. "Why?" the woman practically begged. 

 

"I got lonely," the voice answered with after a pause, wobbling a bit with emotion now that the cloak of digital distortion had been removed.

 

* * *

 

The minute the call ended, David had demanded Elijah pull up the videos. The fury he felt at the man for having done such a thing was matched only by the fury he felt towards himself for letting him have such an opportunity. How could they have forgotten the equipment in his room? David scrubbed at his eyes, the strain making them ache and two cups of coffee he'd already had this morning while discussing supplies with Jude not helping.

 

In the end they'd agreed on a relatively simple plan. This 'Cadence' person was going to fly out to visit them, coming from who knew where, and they were to meet at a new AirBnB rental that was about as neutral ground as they apparently were going to have with this woman who apparently already knew where they were and what their god damned shoe sizes were. The house was apparently ridiculously large, allowing their hosts the freedom of 'teaming up' with them should they want to. David wished they'd have the opportunity to discuss that later. As kind as these strangers were to take them in, and as interesting as it was that they too had unnatural abilities, David did not like the idea of spending an indefinite amount of them around them. His skin crawled just glancing over at the two huddled in the back, hands linked.

 

As horrifying as his brush with their powers had gone, he was mostly concerned about the company of the Bethany woman. She'd been rude to Joseph for apparently no reason the first night and seemed inclined to continue to openly despise him regardless of how he responded. Jude had tired to explain it and while he was sympathetic to the fresh pain of losing a loved one, that didn't mean he'd sit back and let something happen to the only family he had left.

 

David's worrying was cut short as Elijah slid the phone back to the center of the table, a clip of him speaking at the camera playing on it. Yep, that was Elijah in full Mr Glass mode all right. The twinkle in his eye when the video cut to a close up could have cracked the screen. Unlike his usual mad rants, this one was intercut with footage of David and Kevin incredibly, unnaturally battling each other and unidentifiable black garbed guards. There were also several shots of someone bending steel close to the camera and performing the typical impressive feats of strength as if they were card tricks. Though nothing more than feminine arms were ever shown in the shot, it was easy enough to tell Bethany had apparently put on a little performance for the man.

 

The second video focused less on the idea of Mr Glass and the amazing possibility of superpowers. This one was footage Casey had filmed of Dennis, the girl's soft voice asking him questions and the man looking at the camera, intensely thoughtful. His responses blended in and wove around the narrative of what had happened in the courtyard. Descriptions of protecting the broken intercut with footage of what that protection looked like. 

 

The video footage... the courtyard, "Don't do anything stupid. Anything happens to her, you're getting blamed," Kevin Wendell Crumb seemingly spoke into the camera. The man suddenly convulsed and David's stomach turned, knowing his son had held the camera, had survived such a brush with danger. "Oh fuck," he could hear past Joseph gasp and the view turns into chaos for a second, then abruptly stopped, everything now tilted to the left ninety degrees. David's unease tightened at the sight of the Beast stalking back into the frame, dragging the girl behind him. Without turning his head, he risked a glance at Kevin- no, it was still Patricia. She, he thought with a mild flinch, was staring at the phone's screen with wide eyes, mouth slightly parted.

 

The sound of breaking glass brought David's attention back to the footage. There was another question, voices only, overlaying the unbroken video footage now. Asked by Casey and answered by Dennis, his further descriptions of the Beast's grand vision unfolded over the sight of the girl crawling towards the camera. To his left he could hear an angry mutter from Casey as a sizable amount of cleavage filled the screen before the view was once again shaken, camera now in hand and raised back to point towards the action going on outside. He could hear in the distance the gunshots that had been directed at himself. Possibly some towards the mysterious Richard.

 

"Oh my god, no!" The view gets shaky again, just after the Beast wrapped his arms around the doctor. "NO! NO! Kevin! No!" Casey's tiny voice could be heard crying. The girl a couple feet away watched with horror, hand to her mouth. 

 

"Pity," Bethany muttered under her breath but it's her friend who responds with a sharp, "Don't." Patricia and the girl were too engrossed with the footage to take much issue. David reached out and put a hand on Joseph's shoulder. Watching it again was clearly distressing him and he squeezed his son's shoulder, trying to convey how proud he was at how Joseph had handled himself. Thankfully he was not punished for this kindness with another vision of his son attacking the doctor.

 

"Don't do this! Don't do this to Kevin!" Both Casey and Patricia seem to flinch simultaneously as the video shows the Beast getting shot by offscreen attackers. The phone speakers make the Beast's answering roar sound tiny but still unnerving in it's relative volume. The video cuts to another question and answer but then interlays video of thoughtful Dennis with Hedwig goofing off and David fights the urge to look away. The continued existence of Hedwig and the more reasonable alters is a fact that didn't sit well with him and he didn't enjoy thinking about. 

 

Of course Elijah couldn't just let the video or the pair speak for themselves. A summary of content from the first two videos seemed unnecessarily added atop security footage of Casey getting shot on the steps of the hospital. All the final clips are from Ravens Hill and are of the Beast, no- Hedwig, worrying over and struggling to help the injured girl.

 

When the video ended Patricia let out shaky breath before quickly composing herself, looking about the room just over everyone's head. Casey was staring at her hands and understandably didn't want to meet anyone's gaze for a while after that. David turned to look at everyone in turn but most expressions were guarded.

 

"Impressive, isn't it?" Elijah asked, grinning widely and revealing the spotted teeth common amongst inmates of mental and correctional institutions. "I mean, yes, he killed a man on camera but I think the narrative framing paints a bit more of a sympathetic picture, don't you?" 

 

"Would have been more impressive if he'd been able to finish the job," Bethany muttered. This earned her several angry stares, including David's, but the woman just huffed. "Whatever. I'm going to pack up my stuff and head over to the new place in an hour or so... " Raising her hands, she walked out of the room. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Am I cheating and re-using OCs from my other story? Yes! Does anyone care? No!
> 
> Despite the ever decreasing frequency of updates, I do have an idea as to where this is going and I am looking forward to some particular future scenes... just need to... get there


	15. A game is cooperative if players are able to form binding commitments externally enforced (e.g. through contract law) A game is non-cooperative if players cannot form alliances or if all agreements need to be self-enforcing (e.g. through credible threats)

"I'm going to check on the doctor," Casey mumbled as Sam and Chris slipped away, "bring her some breakfast." The girl moved into the kitchen and Patricia wasn't the only one who watched her. After a moment she returned, bowl and spoon in hand, and headed towards the living room where they'd left the woman. Jude tracked the movement and then turned back to Patricia when the child disappeared around a corner. It was clear there was a hint of gossip to be had and Patricia arched an eyebrow in invitation. 

 

"If Casey insists on keeping her around... fine. Your mistake. But don't compound it by letting her linger too long- alone- in that woman's presence," Jude looked away as she spoke, looking almost normal in profile from where Patricia stood. The tension in the woman's shoulders suggested there was more and Patricia offered an inquisitive hum in encouragement. It was apparently enough. "I lost my sister, letting her talk to her." The twist of scar tissue that covered Jude's face, visible again when she turned back with a sorrowful expression, suggested quite a tragic story. One that Patricia had little interest in examining at the moment given the implied threat to the girl.

 

"Ah, well then, if you'll excuse me," she murmured with a smile, hurrying to catch up with Casey. She had no doubt the willful young thing would get into trouble with the doctor. The girl had placed the bowl on the couch's armrest and was contemplating the bound woman when Patricia found her, clearly on the verge of a bad idea.

 

"Oh don't even consider untying her," she warned, settling down on an arm chair opposite the pair. "Not that I think she'll be able to do any harm," she explained to the matching scowls the comment earned her. "Our... new friends would clearly find such a sight distressing and we are all trying to get along here," she practically purred, still amused that she and David had in a way just worked together to undermine Mr Glass. Perhaps there _could_ be the occasional common ground found between them. Her opinion of Mr Glass had certainly shifted over the last couple days, especially now that Kevin was... participating more. She was even coming around to everyone else's view on things in regards to the doctor. Seeing the woman humiliated was proving to be quite cathartic after their stay in her ward and Patricia was beginning to see the logic in keeping her around. For now at least. 

 

Thankfully the girl didn't argue, instead peeling off the tape from the woman's mouth. Fist tentatively and then with a quick tug as Staple moaned in pain despite the efforts. With a gasp, Dr Staple drew in a deep breath and then worked her jaw. Before she could speak, Casey quickly shoved a spoonful of lukewarm oatmeal in her mouth. Sullenly the doctor chewed and swallowed, gaze jumping between her two minders. Another spoonful followed promptly but the doctor resorted to simply speaking with her mouth full. "What happened?" She mumbled as soon as she could, "Have you been contacted by the Foundation?"

 

Casey froze at this and then quickly tried to feed the woman another helping though the doctor simply turned her head away and continued to chew her current mouthful. The girl wasn't petulant enough to actually prod the woman with the spoon, somewhat to Patricia's disappointment. 

 

"Yes," Patricia answer in a lazy tone of voice, folding her hands in her lap and smiling at the doctor. "They're quite keen to get you back. Suggested another hand off tomorrow," she lied smoothly. "We hope next time goes better." There was a pause as Dr Staple stared at her, ignoring the spoonful Casey raised and tried to feed her.

 

"If you're-" the doctor was cut off as Casey forced another bite upon her and the doctor chewed furiously, sparing a glare for the girl. "If you're just going to lie I see no value in conversing with you," the doctor retaliated with in a most condescending voice.

 

"Good," Casey interjected even as Patricia's eyes narrowed. "Nobody wants you here and even less want you alive," she explained, forcing another scoop upon the woman. "You should just keep quiet and keep your head down if you want to survive."

 

"Is that the strategy you're using?" The doctor asked as soon as she was able. There was a twist to the question, an inflection that suggested years of psychotherapy and Casey paused at this, looking a little stricken. Patricia sighed and headed off any potential threat the doctor was trying to sow in the girl's mind.

 

"Nobody wants any harm to come to Casey," she explained, flashing a warm smile at the child to reassure her. Casey blanched and looked down at the more than half empty bowl. "The girl is under all our protection and we are determined to look out for her."

 

"Elijah too?" The doctor managed to ask between the spoonfuls as they resumed. There was another momentary stillness to the girl that betrayed her thoughts on the matter and Patricia smoothly sidestepped the question.

 

"You should be attempting to charm Casey, not irritate her," she scolded. "Really, she's the only one standing between you and those simply panting for your blood."

 

Dr Staple licked her lips as Casey set the now empty bowl down. "Even David?" she asked. Patricia waved a hand, dismissing the man's opinion on the matter. It was important that Casey feel useful, and she wanted to encourage the girl to have a sense of responsibility in this situation she'd force them into.

 

"If you really wanted to- no, wait," the doctor twisted away and turned her head to the side as Casey pulled a fresh strip of tape. "I need to use the bathroom," Staple muttered.

 

"You don't need to speak to do that," the girl pointed out. The doctor squirmed and evaded the tape, which accidentally became tangled in her hair. "I've not been able to breathe freely for over two days," the woman said, her voice finally taking on a pleading tone. "Do you have any idea what that feels like? Just...  ten minutes, please? And can I please have a hand free to use the restroom?"

 

"So demanding," Patricia murmured in amusement as Casey stepped back, considering the request. "Here now," she added, pushing herself out of the chair. "I've experience with... such situations. I'll take her." Casey turned and glared fiercely at Patricia which was only mildly surprising. Seeing the venom in the girl's expression, she shrugged and settled herself back in the chair, hands once again resting on her knee, ankles neatly crossed. The girl was going to require their help but Patricia was willing to wait and let her realize that herself. 

 

"When is Kevin coming back?" Casey muttered as she looked around the room, presumably for something to cut the doctor's bonds.

 

"When he's feeling up to it," Patricia carefully replied, not pointing out the drawer she'd seen scissors returned to earlier. Anything involving the doctor distressed Kevin immensely but Patricia didn't feel the need to share the fact. Casey headed out of the room, presumably to the kitchen and Patricia sat for a moment in silence with the doctor. The two glared at each other though neither spoke, too many scathing remarks on the tip of Patricia's tongue for her to choose from. When Casey returned, Dana trailed after her, the older woman flashing Patricia a smile as she moved to the couch with the girl. 

 

"Up," Casey instructed Dr Staple, hand gesture that accompanied it revealing a notable impatience. "Time for a quick shower. David pointed out you might attract attention soon if we don't- don't take better care of you," she stumbled over the words and Patricia studied the child for a moment before raising an eyebrow at the older woman who continued to hover near by. It was good to know David agreed with her, but Patricia didn't appreciate his direct interference.

 

"Elijah offered up our shower," Dana explained, smiling at Patricia though it seemed like she almost spoke to the doctor. "But he suggested I assist. Elijah says you can never be too careful," the old woman added in a warm and friendly tone of voice. The smile and slow nod that went with it suggested companionable concern.

 

"Indeed," Patricia agreed, dryly. She couldn't help but wonder if there was an implication that the girl needed chaperoning in their presence. It was a mildly offensive barb, subtle though it may be, and Patricia assumed it was payback for hanging up on his friend. "Well, it'll be quite crowded in there. I'm certain we can handle it."

 

"What?" Casey asked in surprise, turning sharply to face Patricia. "No, no way. You are not... helping with this." The girl blushed, eyes darting away. Patricia's lips compressed in a thin line and she glared at the girl for a long moment.

 

"That's right," Dana said with another nod and a smile. "I think we can handle this. There's oatmeal on the stove by the way. You haven't had breakfast yet, have you?" 

 

"Either I'm going or you can have Dennis stand guard in the room while the doctor showers," Patricia said with a glare and bared teeth that she hoped could be mistaken for a smile. She hadn't wanted to put it so bluntly but the woman was a meddler, she could see where her son got it. "Dr Staple simply cannot be trusted, nor can the pair of you be trusted to contain her." 

 

"Fine, I choose Dennis," Casey interjected. Both Dana and Patricia were surprised by this but before Patricia could argue, she was forcibly ejected from the Light. Head snapping back due to the abrupt transition, Dennis's eyes fluttered as he rocked back forward. "I can't stand her," Casey muttered under her breath and when he was able to focus Dennis saw she spoke to Ms Price. The old woman eyed him warily as she nodded.

 

Running a hand over his scalp, Dennis looked around the room and rapidly tried to assess the situation. Casey had been right, he was the best one to handle this. Ms Price's face was still marred from the days old black eye and she looked especially frail despite how crisp and clean the clothes she wore looked. Casey could handle herself, maybe, but he suspected the doctor would fight dirty if she thought it'd give her a chance to slip away. Patting his shirt and then pants pockets, he was relieved to find someone had thought to carry his glasses with them. Slipping them on he could sharply see how untidy the girl looked and winced but managed, with effort, to refrain from saying something.

 

When Casey finally cut the doctor's bonds, Dennis was there to wrap an arm around the woman's bicep and escort her to the bathroom. Releasing her, he stepped back and stood, arms crossed. To his surprise, Casey laid a hand on his arm. Drawing a breath, he tensed and braced himself. "Dennis," she said, as he expected she would, "if you could just wait outside..."

 

"I'm not-" he started and then paused to draw another breath. "I'm not trying to- it's not safe if I wait outside." He was angry at her for trying to tell him how to do his job and for putting her hand on his arm. She knew it'd distract him, and it did, but he struggled to focus on why he was there.

 

"Don't worry," Ms Price butted in, moving past him to squeeze into the bathroom as well, shooing the doctor into the tub to make space. "If she tries to hypnotize us I'll set her straight. Or if she tries to psychoanalyze us we can always scream." She smiled at Casey as she said this and Dennis frowned. 

 

"She could break a mirror and use the shards to hurt you," Dennis stated calmly. "It's how even Elijah managed to escape. Daryle was twice his size," he stared flatly at Casey as he spoke, knowing only her opinion mattered. "If I'm outside she'll be able to take you hostage or hurt you before I can get in... and if not me then..." Dennis rolled his shoulders, uncomfortable mentioning such things with so many pairs of eyes on him. "The Beast could handle her, but I think it's better if I'm here. Just in case. I'll..." he licked his lower lip, watching the girl and sensing she saw the logic in what he said. "I'll face the door, how about that? I'll be here, able to act if she does something.  I'll... just face the door till then."

 

Feeling almost foolish, he turned around and stood, braced for another argument though none came. He heard Casey instructing the doctor and then the hiss of the shower turning on. 

 

"This is really quite ridiculous, you know," Dr Staple said from behind the curtain and Dennis snorted. It was on the tip of his tongue to point out the degree to which she had invaded their privacy in the hospitals. Elijah had shown him the cameras, he understood how closely they'd been watching him, how scared they'd been of them. It was later, when they all realized the doctor had believed everything, had understood the threats that they posed, that such scrutiny had made sense. Dennis thought about the doors that had held them and tried to envision the Beast breaking one down the same way that David had claimed to.

 

"It's ok if you're scared," Dr Staple said, as if reading his thoughts but then twisting them. He tensed up but when Casey responded he realized she hadn't been speaking to him. 

 

"I'm not scared," the girl spoke, her voice colored with a note of confusion.

 

"Well you should be," Dr Staple replied, volume dropping to a hush, suddenly hard to hear over the sound of the shower. "Haven't you ever seen an invasive species? They're more able to adapt to the environment. When they show up, the entire ecosystem is thrown out of balance. Native species die." There was a pause. "We're the native species, Casey," she explained after a pause. "And they're-"

 

"Yeah, I understood the analogy," Casey snapped, sounding entirely unamused. Dennis resented the analogy but kept his mouth shut, glaring furiously at the door. 

 

"We don't know the exact behavior of ability transference from parent to offspring. Look at- yes, I know, I'm scrubbing," the doctor snapped when Dana politely reminded her to hurry up. "Look at Joseph for example. But we have strong reasons to believe the child of two enhanced individuals will produce a viable enhanced child. Do you know what that means?"

 

"Shush now," Ms Price said in response. There was a long stretch of silence and no more talking allowed from the doctor after that.

 

* * *

 

David watched Jude as she packed, efficient motions folding fabric and tucking it away in different pouches. He spotted at least three hand guns nestled in amongst the nondescript blouses and blue jeans the woman owned. He felt the urge to fidget, uneasy at this demonstration of her personal life. She'd asked him to join her, to talk for a moment, but so far nothing had been said beyond "can you hand me that hairbrush."

 

Looking about the room, Jude eyed a pile of papers next to him and moved to collect them. On her way back to the suitcase, she reached passed him and closed the door. The soft click raised the hair on the back of his neck but David maintained a cool expression. Knowing the woman normal made the idea of being shut in a room with her uncomfortable but tolerable. 

 

"I don't like your friend Mr Glass," she said, back to him as she tucked the pages into some inner pocket. "I don't... I don't think this is a good idea."

 

"Then why go along with it?" David asked, folding his arms and leaning back. His initial tension dissipated, replaced with a touch of relief that they were finally addressing the important issue at hand.

 

The woman hesitated a moment, picking up one of the coats she'd collected, holding it, then replacing it on the bed before turning to face him. "I'm worried about Bethany, about the baby. We were a team, Young-mi looked out for us... and now she's dead. Because this 'Cadence' gave us bad intel. And now we're going out to meet her? Team up with her? With... with you?" She gestured towards David, an almost disgusted expression on her face though he realized he could be misinterpreting the look. The scars covering half her face pulled oddly and made normal ticks or tells hard to read.

 

"With us?" David repeated, raising an eyebrow. "You don’t trust us? Why even help us?" Drawing a breath, he quickly caught himself, Joseph's earlier scoldings still ringing in his ears. "I mean, we appreciate all you've done for us." He bit off the additional point that if his original group had listened to him and ditched the doctor right away they wouldn't have ended up here. His mind somewhat blanked on where else they'd have ended up, but he was certain it was better than this. "What I'm trying to say is- we don't want to be a burden, you shouldn't feel obligated to team up with us... only if that's what you want... if that's what's happening." He ran a hand over his face and the woman stepped close, whispering fiercely. 

 

"Exactly!" She looked about, voice low. "This is a bad idea. We should not be doing... anything right now. We should be laying low! Bethany needs to have her kid, not- not fight crime! Your friend is insane!"

 

David winced a little. "He's not my friend and... yes, he is insane. We- he did just escape from an insane asylum." The woman glared at him and he raised his hands. "But you are right. Teaming up with other people like- that are-" he stumbled, not willing to use the word superhero to refer to himself in front of this woman. "The teaming up idea is ridiculous... but we do need the help. You were looking at the same numbers I was, which, thank you. Again. I just can't let Elijah roll off on his own to do... who knows what, and I can't turn him- or myself- over to the authorities knowing they'll just kill him for certain. And we don't have enough here to carry all of us through."

 

Jude nodded reluctantly and there was a stretch where she packed in silence during which he wondered if he should just let himself out. Eventually she did switch over to talking logistics with him, what little there was. He didn't really have anything to add but he could tell she needed to give the report to someone. 

 

It wasn't hard after that to make the move to the new location. While those from Raven Hill had few possessions, their new companions had not only their own personal items but those of their fallen friends. The resignation David now felt meant he let the transport be broken into multiple trips. Realizing he couldn't guard everyone at once hurt, but seemed now inevitable. He was a little surprised that Casey and Kevin didn't slip away during the move. They in fact both helped, though half the time it seemed to be Dennis 'there', the man thankfully keeping a close eye on the doctor. He didn't like the idea of the two of them on their own and liked less the idea of having to chase them down should they make a run for it. Could he knowingly let the Horde just slip away if that's what they decided to do? His mind skipped away from the thought and instead focused on their new situation. 

 

The house was as impressive as the photos on the website suggested. He'd inspected every room once already, and Joseph had covered the yard and garage. It didn't appear there were any hidden surprises waiting for them. While the shop he and Joseph had run didn't sell the full range of equipment, they were both familiar with the extent of what was available on the market. After a second sweep, just to be sure, they found themselves waiting, nervously, for the arrival of their new 'friend'. Everyone had gathered in the front room, uneasy and silent around the time when Cadence had claimed she'd arrive. That had lasted for only about ten minutes before folks began drifting away again. It was too uncomfortable for them all to sit in the same space it seemed, which was why only David, Joseph, and Jude saw the car pull up to the house. 

 

"Here we go," Jude muttered under her breath before calling out to the house at large that their contact had arrived. David opened the door before the woman could knock and she sauntered over the threshold with a smile.

 

"Wow, this is so great!" she exclaimed, sounding about the same as she did over the phone when the distortion had stopped. He hadn't known what to expect and therefore was not surprised by how nondescript she looked. Dropping her luggage, which appeared to be only a large backpack, she threw her arms open wide. "I'm Cadence! It's so great to meet you, David!" That she moved in for a hug was well telegraphed but he was too stunned by the audacity of such familiarity to evade and then a vision was upon him. 

 

The girl looked much the same has she did now, hair a little shorter and streaked with blue that was no longer evident. Sprawled on a hotel bed he watched her speak breathlessly into the corded hotel phone that had been reworked to plug into a laptop. "Oh yes, officer. And he's got a gun!" she whispered, clutching the phone close to her face. "Oh I'm so scared," there was a pause as she smiled and then rearranged her face again to a worried one as she recited some addressed. "Yes please come soon he's-" and she reached over to unplug the device. The vision lasted only a heart beat longer, long enough to catch her grin, before it cut out and he found himself staring into the exact same expression on the woman before him. 

 

David wrenched away from her and Cadence just held up her hands and smiled. "Just trying to be friendly," she offered and then turned towards the sound of Casey and Kevin hurrying down the steps. To Joseph and Jude she didn't even say anything, just a nod and hand wave.

 

* * *

 

"The Horde!" The strange woman in the foyer exclaimed, arms stretched wide and approaching Kevin the moment he and Casey arrived. "It is a pleasure! I've been wanting to meet you since you first went public, and I see you've brought a little snack," the stranger added with a smile, turning to look at Casey. Having just spent the last half hour talking to Kevin and trying to assure him that things were going to go ok, that they could handle whatever stranger Mr Glass had befriended, Casey grit her teeth and realized she might have underestimated how much worse things could get. Cadence's eyes crinkled with amusement at her own joke but suddenly bulged as Kevin's hand shot out and gripped the woman by the neck. Casey drew a breath and stepped back, turning, unsurprised that it was not Kevin who stood beside her. If the tension in the thickly corded arm, flexing and holding the woman just at her tippy toes wasn't enough of a hint, the furrow between his brows as he stared at her was pure Dennis. 

 

"Don't joke about that," he warned. David's sharp, 'Dennis!' didn't seem to phase him. He held the woman for several seconds and then released her, stepping back and almost folding in on himself a fraction. Casey was a little surprised to find Kevin flashing her a worried expression and she realized that perhaps the pep talk had helped. Turning back to the new arrival, Kevin immediately began to apologize but the woman waved it off.

 

"You don't take jokes well, I get it. I get it," she muttered as she stepped a safe distance away and watched the last of the group arrive. Sam and Chris approached but the woman took an immediate step back, raising a finger to wag at Sam. "Yeah, you can just stay the fuck away from me," she said with a smile. Glancing over at Chris she grinned widely. "And good luck parsing what's up here," she smirked, tapping her temple. "Know Cantonese?" 

 

"I do," Mr Glass said, wheeling himself into the grand entryway. "And I look forward to hearing all those interesting thoughts myself, in whatever dialect you choose." Locking the wheels, he raised his hands and smiled widely, lips pressed together and spotted teeth tucked well out of sight. "Cadence. It's a pleasure." The woman immediately threw up her hands and hurried to his side. It looked like she might hug the man but a quick intervention by his mother averted that disaster. The two exchanged a rapid back and forth of well wishes and questions that neither bothered to answer.

 

Squeezing his hand in her own, Casey whispered to Kevin that everything was fine. Jade had explained Barry's 'pissing contest' theory last night and in a way she understood why Dennis would want to make such a dramatic statement right away. Her dad had taught her more than just rifle safety on those hunting trips. Animal behavior was just as important to know. 

 

While it was true the woman didn't seem to care, having not even bothered to look back at either them or the Dunns, Casey mostly tried to calm him to prevent Patricia from showing up again.  She didn't think Dennis claiming the Light would be that bad but she didn't want to have to deal with Patricia on top of all this. Bethany seemed reluctant at first meeting the woman but the over-the-top enthusiasm seemed to charm rather than irritate her. Ms Price appeared to be the only 'normal' of the four of them that Cadence went out of her way to be polite to. Casey found herself glaring at the back of Cadence's head as the woman excitedly started to share her ideas on how they could 'fight crime' with Mr Glass and some of the others.

 

The hold on her hand shifted and Casey looked back, confused for a moment. Staring into Kevin's eyes she knew it was someone else who looked back at her now. It took her longer than she'd like to realize who now held her hand, carefully patting it rather than gripping it the way Kevin had.

 

"I think she just has a strong personality," Barry whispered to her. "Maybe she's just... really nervous and is overcompensating?" he offered with a smile. 

 

"Yeah maybe," Casey muttered, not believing it for a moment. Dr Staple's warning about invasive species echoed in her head as she watched the various 'superheroes' draw together and talk. Barry continued to stand by her side, holding her hand, though he seemed to lean forward a bit, clearly listening to everything. 

 

Of course David didn't wait long before loudly declaring that they were not going to fight crime together. Jude was quick to second this, though no one paid her any mind, but Barry agreed as well. Both Cadence and Elijah countered with grand plans to help the Broken, to protect those who need it, and though Barry twitched, the hand holding Casey's spasming for a moment, he remained in the Light and continued to echo David's protests against grand or dramatic action.

 

Casey knew Barry was arguing on Kevin's behalf, and from the occasional twitches and an escaped sentiment interjected in Patricia's voice, was also fighting at least some of the Horde to do so. She gave his hand an encouraging squeeze but the gesture seemed to distract more than it helped and she let him eventually pull away. Gesturing emphatically now with both hands, Barry dove full force into the sprawling argument that erupted at the foot of the stairs.

 

Over time Ms Price drifted away and Bethany, complaining about swollen feet and feeling faint, convinced everyone to move to the living room where they continued to bicker about what the group should do. While Joseph seemed to be actively engaged in listening and Jude continued to try and participate to little effect, Casey slowly drew into herself and then away from the group. 

 

Cadence was outlining various ideas on how to pinpoint the Foundation's exact headquarters, if such a thing should exist, when Casey eventually just got up and left the room. No one seemed to notice. 

 

Wandering the first floor of the house, she passed through the kitchen and then an empty dining room. "Her whole point is to prove we don't exist," Bethany's raised voice could be heard clear across the house. "The best way to fight that is to really go out of our way to make a point that we do." The woman was, once again, clearly talking about Dr Staple and Casey gnawed on her lip, a thought forming.

 

She'd been repeatedly told that she was now responsible for the doctor. Casey couldn't believe how casually some of these people, including Patricia and Mr Glass, talked about just murdering the woman in cold blood. If standing against that meant she had to take care of the woman, Casey accepted the burden. It'd be better though if the doctor was more than just a burden. Casey wondered if perhaps she could get more information out of her with some kindness than David or Elijah had with threats of violence. Drifting back to the kitchen, Casey fixed a sandwich and then headed up to where they'd locked the doctor up upon arriving at the new house.  

 

As Casey reached the top of the stairs, she saw Dana stepping out of the doctor's room, closing the door behind her. Turning, the old woman seemed to almost start when she saw Casey before smiling widely. "I didn't hear you come up," she said unnecessarily as she approached. "All the others here stomp about so loud. Wearing their shoes indoors," she added with a friendly eye roll, the two of them against all those rough men it suggested. Casey didn't bother pointing out she always wore her boots inside, instead just glancing to the doctor's door and back with a raised eyebrow. 

 

"Oh, I was just checking in on her. Making sure she didn't need to use the restroom or anything," Dana said, reaching out as if to guide Casey back down the steps but then turning the gesture into a simple grab of the railing when Casey stepped aside. "Ah, how thoughtful," Dana added, glancing down at the sandwich Casey held. "She said she wasn't hungry when I asked but maybe the sight of such a treat will change her mind. I think it's admirable you're showing such... responsibility," she finished with a smile before heading down the steps in the careful manner typical of a woman her age.

 

Casey hesitated, feeling almost foolish. Apparently she wasn’t needed, but she still did wish to talk to the doctor a bit. Test out her theory that the woman might open up a bit when treated with a bit more human compassion. See if she couldn't explain herself a bit more, the questioned raised by her statement earlier prickling Casey's interest. Opening the door, Casey let herself into the room and was greeted with a rather startled expression from the doctor. The woman seemed tense, perhaps fearful of who might be checking in on her or why. 

 

"I... made you a sandwich." Casey lifted the plate and then brought it over to the doctor. She'd convinced Dennis earlier to leave the woman's mouth untaped, arguing that it was inhumane to keep her bound and gagged for so long. The house they were in was large and the neighbors far enough away that it seemed doubtable anyone would hear her scream, not that she'd shown any inclination to do so since the first night.

 

"Thank you," the doctor smiled in that way she did where it didn't reach her eyes. "I'm not hungry right now," she added and then tipped her head to the side slightly as she asked, "You're not going to make me eat it right now, are you?"

 

"N- no," Casey mumbled, quickly putting the plate down. She was burned by the memory of Patricia feeding her and Marcia sandwiches. Remembering how the bread had sat in her stomach like a lead weight, Casey wiped her hands on her jeans as her skin fairly crawled at the memory. Dr Staple watched her silently, seemingly waiting for something.

 

"No, you- you can have it later...." The doctor continued to stare and Casey realized she was waiting for her to leave. "I- I actually wanted to ask you a couple questions." This seemed to surprise her and the woman blinked twice rapidly. 

 

She straightened up. "What sort of questions?"

 

"You mentioned the baby would be... would be like them. So people are just... born that way?" Casey chewed on her lip, nervous about the response but wanting something to distract from the sandwich. 

 

"We're still trying to figure that out. There may be latent potential scattered throughout the population. Certainly genocidal purges have proven insufficient to wipe it out entirely." The doctor shifted slightly and Casey wondered if she was nervous, talking about such things. Did she feel guilty at all for working with people who, as she had just suggested, experimentaled with mass murder? "I've already explained this to David and Elijah. I've been told there's a video about it," the doctor added, pausing for a moment and frowning before she shook her head and seemed to twitched again. Staring out the window, she continued, "It's something about the juxtaposition of stability and tragedy. There is always a triggering traumatic event, but obviously not everyone who experiences trauma develops." There was the briefest glance at her as the doctor said this and Casey lifted her chin, refusing to show discomfort at the passing reference to her history. "If that were the case we'd be seeing a flood of such individuals from war torn countries. We really only see surges in developed, stable regions." Casey found herself contemplating, not for the first time, what made Kevin and David so different from everyone else.

 

"That's why we had to topple Rome," the doctor added in an offhand way that reminded Casey of her English teacher who liked to monologue about word origins and 'interesting' linguistic facts. There was something horrific in the calm way she spoke about such an outrageous idea. Casey tried to think about how Dennis and David were different in ways that inspired an organization for thousands of years to hunt them down and kill people like them. The idea of someone being so hated for something they couldn't control made her stomach churn.

 

"You-" Casey started to say and the doctor seemed to freeze, watching her. "You toppled Rome...?" 

 

"I mean, I did not personally," the doctor smiled and Casey felt a flash of anger at the condescending tone in her voice. "But the Foundation, yes. Humanity and the Altered always come back though. So, thankfully, They decided it was acceptable to let people... advance." The doctor for a moment looked a touch embarrassed. "It was a long time ago, a bit... heavy handed. But when taken in the historical context it all makes sense. Every nation has a bloody past and many still do now." She smiled in that cold way again. "I feel like this is all a bit much for you, Casey. Maybe we should talk more later?"

 

Blinking in surprise, Casey realized she was a touch offended by the dismissal. "It's not 'too much' for me," she said. It sounded childish and defensive so she added, "I'm not scared of you or your organization or of Kevin or of these... Altered people." The doctor's inquisitive tilt of the head was part mocking and part questioning. Casey decided to be very clear with her. "I came up here to check on you to make sure you're doing alright- I know Dana just checked- and because-" she blushed, feeling almost guilty for asking, "you mentioned Bethany's kid and I wanted to know more about want made someone... like that."

 

Dr Staple's eyes narrowed a bit and she licked her lips, "I've already explained to Elijah everything I know, and I know he recorded it. You can just-"

 

"No," Casey cut in, "I did watch some of that but I have my own questions, and I don't believe you'll necessarily give me the same answers you gave Elijah," she added. Dr Staple twitched in her seat and then sighed in exaggerated defeat. 

 

"Fine... I can... We can go through the questions again. But I need to use the bathroom first. I was fine before," she said quickly before Casey could object, "But that was before I realized I'd have to go through this all again. Just..." The woman sighed and twitched once more, this time definitely looking like an antsy individual who needed to go.

 

"Ok, let me just go get some help," Casey muttered and turned to head towards the door. She'd been willing to talk to the doctor alone, even feed her, but she wasn't foolish enough to try and manage a bathroom break alone quite yet. Especially not after the way Dennis had reacted. The impact to the side of her head was sudden and toppled her onto the bed. Groggily she raised an arm and managed to deflect the second blow that came down. She blinked, trying to orient herself but the first hit had triggered a cascade of pain reminiscent of her fell at the hospital and her vision swam. 

 

* * *

 

Ellie straddled the girl, pinning her under her greater weight and held weakly struggling hands down a safe distance away. The girl thrashed about feebly under her, eyes rolling in her head but still seemingly conscious. Ellie was at war with herself, still debating whether to kill the kid or not. She'd had several minutes there, after she was certain she could cut her bonds and yet she still had not come to a firm conclusion. The girl's chest rose, drawing a deep breath, and Ellie quickly shifted her hold on the teen. Slapping a hand over Casey's mouth, she paired it with a shift of her weight and a sharp knee to the gut. The cry for help was easily muffled, compressed into a pained gasp. It wasn't difficult to shift her hand over a bit, turning what had been a silencing hold into a suffocating one.

 

It didn't take long, and paired with the re-aggravated head injury the girl was soon limp under her without any sound or sign of the struggle making it out of the room. Still, Ellie held her hand in place, frustrated that her initial blow had not knocked out the girl. It'd always looked so easy in the training videos. If the problem with Casey had resolved itself that easily, she could have just slipped out and left it at that. If the girl hadn't checked on her, it would have been even better. Now she had to consciously let her live. Gritting her teeth, Ellie bore down on the girl for a moment longer before leaning back with a frustrated sigh. 

 

Fingers to the neck verified Casey was still quite alive. Staple bit her lip for a moment and let the false argument that it was better she live construct itself in her mind's eye before logic and reason toppled it. There was no question the death of Casey Cook would undermine the group. The Horde would in no way be stable after that. The Foundation would be able to contain the situation and she'd be hailed as a hero. That illusion also quickly toppled to logic. She'd perhaps be allowed to live, maybe even allowed to work again. Certainly not resume her practice but perhaps Archives could find a spot for her if she actively helped destabilize the growing threat. 

 

Ellie shook her head. No, this was the very reason the Foundation was right to question her. The girl had been... kind to her. Had really been the only reason she'd lived, Ellie believed. And just now she'd been asking the right questions, leaving Ellie with a faint hope of her maybe seeing the big picture. Maybe someday, if she lived. Neither were reason enough to forgo such a clear solution to the problem and yet Ellie couldn't bring herself to kill the girl. Not so blatantly, not with her own hands. She'd just have to hope that they tore themselves apart some other way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 🎵 somebody is going to lose their shit 🎵
> 
> I think I’ve finally gotten over the slump and now it’s back to fun things before I gum it all down again…. guess I update monthly? Sorry for the length of this one, will try to bring the length back down


	16. Parrondo's paradox: There exist pairs of games, each with a higher probability of losing than winning, for which it is possible to construct a winning strategy by playing the games alternately.

Barry had been in the middle of outlining his proposal for hunkering down and getting help from the proper authorities when the shout from upstairs interrupted him. A hush fell over the living room and then another cry, a shout of which only the name 'Dr Staple' could be distinguished. Everyone froze for a heartbeat longer and then they were all rushing, pushing past each other in an attempt to find out what had happened. One of the dinning room chairs that had been dragged in for additional seating was knocked over and Barry quickly caught a table lamp that was on the verge of toppling due to the jostling. Only Sam and Elijah hung back, Barry no less worried but letting others up the stairs before him. Bethany was all elbows in her attempt to push her thick frame past yet Barry saw David disappear first over the top of the stairs, which was probably for the best. Looking around he suddenly realized Casey was not part of the crowd.

 

"No no, by all means," Mr Glass muttered, waving a hand from where he sat at the bottom of the stairs, misunderstanding Barry's hesitation. "Don't worry about me, I'll be fine down here."

 

Sam stepped past them both to carefully ascend the steps and then leaned dramatically out if the way as Barry sprinted up past him. 

 

"Excuse me, excuse me," Barry muttered frantically as he tried to push past Chris and Joseph. The room was crowded but he could see Casey laying on the bed, David leaning over her. "Oh god. Oh my god," he gasped, starting to hyperventilate and unable to hear what Jude said over the roar of blood in his ears. Something had happened to the girl, someone was going to have to tell Kevin she'd been hurt and Barry felt panic seize him at how that might go. Was she even breathing? The thought of losing Kevin again to despair paralyzed him and when Hedwig quickly forced him from the Light, making room for someone else, he didn't fight it.

 

Dennis was of course equally concerned by the state Casey was in but he also surveyed the entire room. He knew the doctor had been held here- he'd inspected it himself, tied the woman up himself. The open window and billowing curtain wasn't subtle in suggesting what might have become of her. Moving first towards Casey, he pushed past Jude to check on the girl.

 

"She's alive," David announced to the room and indeed Dennis could see her chest rising and falling. "Looks like Dr Staple strangled her a bit," Dennis's eyes skipped from her chest up to her throat where he could see ugly red marks around the girl's neck already darkening. "I don't want to move her though, there's blood on the pillow here." The man reached out and tentatively brushed some of the girl's hair aside. Dennis watched him thumb the girl's eyelid open and though the gesture clinical- reasonable- he didn't like it. "Another head injury... If she doesn't wake up soon we- we'll need to call an ambulance." 

 

"Call an ambulance?" Cadence cried from the doorway. "The fuck we're involving the local authorities with this. Dr Staple knows everything and is on the fucking run. You guys need to get out there NOW and catch her before she makes contact with her people and we have  _ another _ shit show on our hands!" David swore and the woman continued to rattle on, though Dennis tried to tune her out as he looked around the room. "This is the only rental with a high enough rating in the area that'll fit all of us and not come with its own waitstaff." Moving to the window and leaning out, Dennis could see the tattered sheet the doctor had anchored to the desk and used to descend. "This kind of acreage is not easy to find you know." Bethany was at his side, scanning the yard beyond the window.

 

"I don't see her," the woman muttered darkly, resting a hand on her belly and scowling at the tree-line, already looking a bit ominous in the early winter twilight. "Fuck, where did she go?" Turning to Dennis, she reached out to grab his arm but he flinched away before she could touch him with her filthy hands. "You need to find her. Hunt her down," she didn't so much as ask as command. "He needs to hunt her down," she added, as if she hadn't been clear enough by what she was really asking for. 

 

Turning away from the yard and woman glaring at him, Dennis looked back at the slowly breathing girl on the bed. "How soon is 'soon'?" he asked David, pointedly ignoring Bethany. He knew her type.

 

"You can't be serious," Cadence cried, pushing past Joseph to get further into the room. "You've got to get out there and find her!" David and Dennis exchanged a look. He knew they wanted the Beast to find and finish off the woman. He could feel Patricia hovering, pressing upon him, no doubt suggesting the same thing. But something wasn't right and it wasn't just the fact that the girl lay on the bed, still unconscious. David was watching him closely, Dennis realized, and he wondered if the man would fight the Beast rather than let Him remove the threat of Dr Staple. Not that he was going to do that. Dennis gave a tight shake of the head to which David just nodded.

 

"Fine," Cadence said when it became clear neither of them were going to listen to her, disgust heavy in her voice. "Excuse me while I go turn off the fucking telcom grid," she muttered as she shouldered her way back out of the room. "At least one of us needs to do something useful before this shit goes atomic."

 

"Perhaps we should get Elijah," Ms Price interjected, hovering at the foot of the bed. It'd been her cry that summoned them to the room. "To look at the girl... since we can't move her downstairs," she added, addressing David's concerned expression before he lectured them again on the obvious.

 

"I warned you not to let the girl talk to her!" Jude was suddenly at Dennis's elbow, scolding him and he drew back, a little surprised.

 

"Not important right now," Bethany hollered, throwing her hands up in the air. "Can anyone find her? Chris? Anything?" The girl, cradled in Sam's arms, just shook her head and looked at the floor. Bethany's glare redirected back towards Dennis. "We need the Beast to find Staple. Now." Dennis shook his head again, refusing to let the woman command him. 

 

His heart beat heavily in his chest, the blood throbbing in his ears and through his limbs. The tips of his fingers tingled and he could feel the weight of the Beast nearby. Patricia had long ago figured out how to hover- if he wasn't careful- and Barry or Hedwig could evict him from the Light, but no one felt like the Beast did. No one could loom the same way, a dark presence forming before it would come crashing down hard. Dennis licked his lip in worry, looking about the room, trying to stay calm and in control. Trying to push back against the Beast.

 

"I- I told Casey the woman wasn't to be trusted, I know she listened to me," he said to the room and yet no one in particular as he looked about. "There's no way she would have cut the woman's bonds." He hesitated a moment, torn between staying by the bed's side to keep watch over her and further investigating. Knowing there was nothing he could do at the moment to help Casey, Dennis instead chose to circle the room, stepping over to inspect the chair. David moved in as well, apparently having similar thoughts.

 

"I tied her up," Dennis confessed, lifting the dangling strips of tape and rope, inspecting the slightly frayed ends. "There was no way she could have gotten out. We could have left her here all night," he added, trying not to think about or mention how he'd come to be so certain of his handy work. "The doctor would have had to chew off her own arm to get out." Frowning, he showed David the ragged but clearly cut ends. The man nodded silently and ran a hand over his jaw.

 

There was a soft moan from the bed and Dennis was immediately by Casey's side. David appeared across the bed a moment later and both men awkwardly hovered, neither seemingly comfortable with reaching down to touch the girl, who moaned again and rolled her head from side to side. "I- I think we should get Elijah," Ms Price repeated a bit more urgently. The girl raised a hand, eyes still closed, and brought it to her face as her expression twisted in pain. "Joseph," the old woman whispered, "come with me." Dennis didn't know if they left or not, his attention was fixed on Casey. 

 

"K- Kevin?" Casey asked, one eye cracking open a fraction. Dennis licked his lips and froze for a moment before leaning forward to hover next to her.

 

"Casey, are you ok?" he asked, trying his best to pitch his voice to match Kevin's. He was rusty at it, it'd been a while since he'd tried to pass for his friend, but the girl seemed too out of it to notice. David looked at him in confusion, and then with mild suspicion and the best Dennis could do was quickly shake his head and return a momentary glare. If the man couldn't see the reason in letting the girl think her friend was here with her, then he was dumber than they had all feared.

 

"Kevin, I-" the girl brought her other hand up now, covering her face. "I think I'm going to be sick," she mumbled from behind her hands. Dennis's gut twisted in worry and he quickly stood back up. Focusing on the girl kept the Beast at bay, further back, but if she was sick he knew he'd lose his cool, lose his control, lose the Light. 

 

"Joseph-" David ordered and there as a sudden sound of footsteps running down the hall. Dennis continued to try his best Kevin impersonation, muttering soothing words to the girl and, with a mild struggle, patting her on the shoulder. A bucket soon appeared but with repeated gentle sounds, much like the ones he'd hear the zookeepers or Patricia make, the girl seemed to stabilize on her own. "What happened?" David eventually asked, the girl's hyperventilation having subsided and her posture having relaxed a fraction.

 

One of the hands left her face and blindly groped for Dennis's. Swallowing, he let her grab ahold of him but dared not return the gesture when she squeezed his fingers. "It's- It's ok," he told her, not that it actually was but it was undoubtedly something Kevin would have said. Or maybe Barry. He felt a flash of anger when he thought about how the man had just let the girl wander off, how he'd had no idea what was going on and and just let this happen. With the rage came a sudden baring down by the Beast and Dennis inhaled sharply.

 

Casey turned to look at him, confusion and distress clear on her face. For a moment he thought she realized whose hand she held but instead she reached out and grabbed him tighter, now with both hands. "I- I- I don't know," she sounded panicked. "I- We were all downstairs talking." Looking about the sea of faces did not seem to reassure her and she stared back at him, wide eyed. It was clear she was about to try and sit up so he quickly intervened, freeing his hand and instead pressing down- gently- on her shoulders to keep her in place.

 

"See! She's fine!" Bethany interrupted from behind him and Dennis's hand spasmed on the girl's shoulders. "Let's go!" Casey looked in confusion past him, presumably at the ranting woman. Dennis closed his eyes for a moment, struggling to keep the Beast back, maintain his Kevin impersonation, and not throttle the bitch.

 

"Wh-What happened?" Casey whispered, hands drifting back to wrap around his wrist.

 

"Dr Staple has escaped," David explained, pacing the room again. "Don't suppose you let her out?" he asked and the girl inhaled sharply, clearly offended. She glanced to Dennis for support and he used his free hand to pat her on the shoulder. "Bringing her a snack though?" Lifting a plate up from the dresser's top, David tipped it show a sandwich with two bites taken out of it. 

 

Under his hands, Dennis could feel Casey begin to tremble again. "I- I don't know. I think so? I didn't untie her!"

 

"Great. Fine. No one's angry at you," Bethany interjected with an almost mocking tone of voice. "We just need to focus on the problem we have  _ right now _ ... which is, where the  _ fuck _ is Dr Staple?" The woman dared to lay her hands on him, wrapping a firm arm around Dennis's bicep and spinning him about with more force than any woman, regardless of her size, should be able to deliver. A strangled gasp escaped him before it was too late.

 

The Beast snapped his teeth together an inch from the tip of the offensive woman's nose as he rose to his full height. The urge to sink his teeth in her was strong, but her swollen bell filled the space between them made him uneasy, made him wary. Growling in the back of his throat, he watched as only some of those in the room shrank back from him. Not nearly enough. Too many stood their ground, defiant to his face, and he rolled his shoulders.

 

The pregnant woman before him jabbed a finger in his direction and he swiped at it. She drew back only far enough to be out of arm's reach but pointed at him again. "You need to find Dr Staple." The Beast growled louder, curling his lip back and baring his teeth at her. Ignoring his display, she spoke over his shoulder. "How do you make him hunt?"

 

"It... doesn't work that way," the familiar voice of the old man replied and the Beast whipped around to find him moving slowly, but intentionally closer. Recalling their first interaction, the Beast was determined not to let the man steal from him again. With a crouch and then a leap up, he landed atop the bed and loomed over his opponent, a silent snarl twisting his face. The girl cried out at this but the sound was not one of fear but pain. He glanced down in confusion, he hadn't landed on her but she still sounded like a wounded animal.

 

Backing up, the man- David, some soft voice in the back of his head supplied him- raised his hands while locking stares with him. "Get off the bed, you- Get off the bed. You're hurting her."

 

"Seriously?" The bothersome woman yelled and stepped forward. The Beast tensed, not wanting to fight her but prepared to defend. "Get off the god damn bed and get out there. One of the other Yous told us you could hunt by smell."

 

"Barry," the young man from the room's doorway interjected. "Barry told us that... he also said the Beast was extremely unpredictable. This is not a good idea. Maybe we should-"

 

"Sam," the woman spoke over him as the Beast turned back to look at the girl curled up at the head of the bed. "You're up." 

 

* * *

 

"What? No!" Jude shouted from where she stood next to David and hurried forward. The young man extracted himself from Chris's clinging grip and stepped towards the bed but didn't get far before Jude planted herself in his path. The Beast had turned his attention back to the girl cowering under him and David's gaze bounced back and forth between the two situations, struggling to determine what the greater threat was. 

 

David had seen the crime scene photos of the bite mark the man had left on the girl's leg. It'd been an ugly thing that they'd not spoken of since the failed argument to send the girl home. There'd been very little talk of the eaten girls in general during their time with the Horde, mostly since Joseph kicked him whenever he'd try to bring it up and hiss something about keeping the peace. While it was a subject he planned to address, now was not the best time. He'd been assured multiple times by multiple people, most of whom were part of the Horde, that the Beast would not hurt Casey in particular but the way the man crouched low over her, head jerking slightly as he sniffed the air was extremely disconcerting.

 

"You can't just... Don't do this, Sam," Jude was pleading with her friends, arms outstretched in an attempt to block his path. "Please, Bethany. We're supposed to be working together." The young man before her paused but looked over to the other woman for guidance.

 

"They need to work with us in order for us to work together. We can talk about this later," she reached out and gently, but firmly, grasped her friend's wrist and pulled her out of the way. Jude tried to struggle but Bethany simply wrapped her in an embrace, confining but still caring. "He'll understand," she spoke into the woman's tightly curled hair before pressing a kiss atop her head. Sam continued towards the bed despite Jude's repeated cries of protest.

 

The idea of Dr Staple contacting her people, of having to go on the run yet again or endure another hail of bullets, was deeply unappealing. It did not, however, make him any easier with the idea of murdering the woman. Again, David felt the shadow of guilt at the corners of his mind for having stopped the car in the fist place. If he hadn't grabbed her, if he hadn't wanted to know what was going on, they wouldn't be here. None of the videos would have been made and these strangers would have remained unknown to them.

 

David moved to put himself between the young man and his target. The back of his legs brushed the mattress and David felt an intense unease at the Beast's proximity. Never let the bad guys get behind you, that'd been one of the lessons he'd learned early on in in this game. "Don't," was all David said, crossing his arms over his chest and looking down at the man who was less then half his age as well as body mass.

 

"Move," was all the cocky bastard said. David felt a flicker of fear, contemplating not for the first time that they'd escaped the hospital only to land in a den of snakes. Chris stepped up, hovering behind her boyfriend's shoulder and stared at David with an eerily intense look. During the heated discussion yesterday there'd been a brief demonstration of the young man's powers. The handshake they'd shared, David being the volunteer and only one of their group to experience the effect, had been brief and dizzying and left him with a lingering unease of the unknown around the youth. There had been no vision like he'd expected, not that he'd understood anyway, and David had not felt up to pressing the issue further at the time. His spite for Elijah's interest in these individual's powers had left him under prepared to face them. "Move or I'll make you," the kid added. 

 

Realizing he might be out of his depth for the first time, David reached out to plant a hand on Sam's chest and push the man away. Unfortunately the young man wrapped his hands around David's wrist before he could really do so and everything seemed to invert and twist. Slender arms encircled his chest and a voice next to his ear shouted, "I've got him." His vision was blurry but it was clear that he saw himself turn and approach the desk. It was like watching a recording of himself, but in real life, or his own reflection behaving abnormally, though no mirror stood between them.

 

David struggled weakly, feeble and confused, as he watched David hurry to collect the tape and supplies they'd been using to bind Dr Staple. "Dad?!" Joseph cried, looking not to his father but towards the strange reflection. Head spinning, David dropped his chin, looking down at his hands and saw with mounting horror that they were not his own. Unlined and youthful, they open and closed weakly while a voice in his ear hushed him and told him to be calm. Jude had been moved to the side now and Bethany quickly bound the man who looked like David. Hands behind his back, the man turned and suddenly struck the wall twice with his head. He seemed to reel and stumble back a step and then David found himself pushed forward, thrown almost. Colliding with the massive form that was his own, there was another twisting sensation.

 

The pain in his forehead was splitting and he stumbled to his knees, unable to catch himself. Hands bound behind his back, David wheezed and tried to orient himself. Bethany stood next to him, speaking rapidly, but David couldn't follow it. The ground below him rolled though it moved not at all, the feeling of being seasick completely foreign to a man afraid of water. 

 

* * *

 

Casey pressed herself further back on the bed, legs kicking frantically to push herself away, succeeding in only tangling the comforter about their feet. The Beast crouched over her, a hand coming down beside her head as he lowered himself further towards her. He seemed very intent on smelling her and what was going on in the crowded room dwindled, eventually eclipsed by the man looming above her.

 

"Kevin," she whispered, hoping she could call her friend into the Light. The Beast lowered his head and she tensed in confusion, wondering if he was going to bite her, tear her throat out, or kiss her. Casey froze, eyes fluttering shut, unable to stare any longer at the teeth that peeked through slightly parted lips. Her head was spinning and not just from the now familiar throbbing ache of her injury. When she felt something brush her jaw, she inhaled sharply but held herself perfectly still. 

 

The heat radiating from him was frightening. Unlike her other close encounters with the Beast, he was fully clothed this time but it did little to weaken the near electric connection she felt with him. There was warm breath on her throat now and she felt his nose brush again against her neck as he moved his head about, audibly still inhaling the scent of something. Of her. There was a nudge, a nuzzle against her ear almost, and then another, and Casey obediently turned her head to the side. The motion hurt, but she kept her eyes squeezed shut and tried not to think about anything. It was something she'd perfected over the years.

 

A hiss escaped her as he found the painful spot at the base of her skull, nuzzling against it again and forcing her to turn her head further. She could hear something that sounded like a struggle near by and she felt tears well up behind her closed eyes. Somehow she'd believed that things were going to get better, not worse. Licking her lips, again she tried, "Kevin?" Hands trembling, she started to raise them but held them hovering inches from his chest. If she struggled would it trigger his hunting instincts? Sometimes resisting could make everything worse. She could feel the heat of his breath through her hair, feel it just barely tickle the edge of her ear. 

 

The feel of something wet and warm pressing against her scalp drew a cry from her and she instinctively lashed out at the accompanying pain it sent shooting through her. Fists hammering against his chest seemed to bother the Beast not at all and again she felt him lick her head injry. The second bolt of pain hurt just the same but was immensely less frightening when she understood no bite would be accompanying it. "No!" she commanded, realizing he was demonstrating some strange animal trait. "No, stop. Get off." She pushed at his chest now, the enchantment of the unknown gone with the realization of his intentions. "That's not helping."

 

"Is he humping his girlfriend?" Casey heard Bethany ask and her eyes snapped open in shock. The woman was speaking to Sam and David was slumped on the ground next to them. "Jesus christ, what a bunch of worthless- Just grab him already." 

 

"Kevin! Beast!" Gripping the Beast's shirt, she tugged frantically and turned back to look at him. Leaning in as close as he was, their lips brushed briefly, but Casey shook her head and tried to warn him. "Sam- He- Look out!" Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Sam reach out and lay a hand on the Beast's broad back, Bethany hovering right behind him. 

 

The body above her stiffened and then the Beast's head snapped up to hissed at the disruption. The young man stumbled back, arms flailing. "I've got him! I've got him!" Bethany cried, wrapping her arms around Sam. The Beast slid off the bed and sinuously rose to his full height. "Sam?" The woman asked, sounding worried. She looked down at the struggling young man in her arms and then back to the Beast, eyes widening slightly. "Sam??"

 

"Wha... what the hell?" Sam slurred, his voice sounding funny as he dangled loosely in Bethany's arms. The Beast growled again and took a menacing step away the bed. Bethany let go of her friend and stepped back, confused. Unsupported, Sam collapsed to the floor and sat slumped next to David. Head rolling to the side, he looked at David, blinked a couple times and then rolled his head back to look at the Beast. Eyes widening, he drew himself together a bit and tried to scoot back. "Holy shit."

 

"Sam?" Chris cried, clearly wanting to run to him but visibly shaking, held in place with fear at the sight of the Beast. "Bethany... what..."

 

"Is that what I look like?!" Sam gasped, still flailing about and ineffectively trying to crawl backwards. The Beast frowned at the dazed and slumped David. Casey's head spun and she tried to sit up but saw spots and thought better of it. Squeezing her eyes shut again, she pressed the heels of her palms against them and willed her head and stomach to settle.

 

"The woman, the  _ doctor _ ..." the Beast spoke, rumbling voice curling up into a breathless snarl of disdain at the title, "she hurt Casey. She has... escaped." There was the silence of collectively held breaths in response to that and with effort Casey manage open her eyes again and study the back of the Beast's head. He lifted his chin and sniffed the air in a dramatic fashion. "I find." 

 

"Kevin," she tried to call out to him, but it was little more than a whisper, fear closing her throat. With dread she realized Kevin taking the Light right now would solve nothing. "D- Dennis," she tried again, a little louder. Bethany quickly hurried to the window and pointed.

 

"Yes! She ran off! She's going to tell everyone where we are and even more people will show up." The woman's gaze briefly met Casey's and then jump away again. Voice rising she continued, "Bad people will show up and hurt us- hurt Casey!" The Beast hissed at this and Casey's repetition of Dennis's name was lost in it all.  "We'll stay here, we'll protect Casey and fix her head. You need to go- go kill Dr Staple!"

 

Sam was starting to try and stand at this point, but Chris was restraining him. Tears leaked down the girl's cheeks as she held a hand over the young man's mouth, muffling whatever he tried to say. Bethany repeated herself several more times as the Beast became visibly agitated. A couple added warnings about Kevin's safety should Dr Staple contact her people was all it took. With a roar, the Beast beat his chest and then scrambled out the very same window the doctor had escaped through.

 

A quiet was left behind in the Beast's wake, eventually broken by a yelp of pain from Chris and a scream the moment Sam's mouth was no longer covered. "What the fuck?" he shrieked, batting the girl away and then stumbling to the bed. Leaning on the mattress, breathing heavily, Sam stared into Casey's eyes.  Red rimmed and full of confusion, tears clearly ready to spill over, he looked to Casey in concern. "Casey, what is happening? Are you ok?" Her hands remained limp with shock as he fumbled for them, taking them in his and giving them a squeeze. Glancing over his shoulder, he looked to the slumped David and then back to her in fright. "Are you ok?" he repeated.

 

Casey lay there in stunned silence and it was Jude who eventually spoke first. "What have you done?" she asked from the corner, arms wrapped about herself as she stared at her friend. 

 

* * *

 

Dr Staple's hands shook as she dug frantically through the drawer. The gash across her palm bleed everywhere, staining the various items black in what twilight filtered through the windows, making it even harder to see. Her fingers found another small metal item and she drew it out but the shape of the key was far too small and she let it drop. She'd already emptied the purse left on the kitchen island and moved now to the closet by the door. Fumbling about frantically, she dug her fingers into each and every one of the coat pockets hanging within.

 

The first house she'd stumbled across had been empty, another rental no doubt like the one they'd been holding her at. She'd cut her hand badly busting the window open, forgetting even the basics of her B&E training. The good fortune of finding a landline turned to ash when it produced no dial tone. The house's guest laptop failed to connect to the wifi, despite her checking the guest book instructions twice, confirming what she'd feared. No occupants meant no car and she'd quickly abandoned the location, heading to the next one down the street.

 

The frigid weather and pain from her accumulated injuries sharpened her and she did better the next time. No outside connectivity meant no alarm and she'd broken in without fear. The car in the driveway suggested occupants but she'd assumed the keys would be easy enough to find and escape with. She just need to to get in a car and drive far away from here, very very fast. When the lights suddenly flickered on, she wasn't even that frightened. Lights meant normalcy, meant the Beast hadn't found her yet.

 

She didn't even need to see the shotgun the old man held in order to raise her hands. They were well over her head as she slowly turned around. Before she could say anything the old man gestured angrily with the weapon and began to swear at her. Decrying tweakers and meth heads he called out for someone named Betsy to call the police. Ellie tried to get a word in edgewise, but the man's complaints escalated when they both noticed the numerous bloody hand prints she'd left across the kitchen. Two of the coats that peeked from the closet were pale colored and her handprints upon them were quite vivid.

 

It occurred to Ellie that this wasn't a situation she'd be able to talk her way out of at this point. The furious man's wrath only mounted when he was informed by Betsy that the phones weren't working. When the man turned his head to shout back over his shoulder up to this Betsy, Ellie used the opportunity to exit the building rapidly. There were at least two shotgun blasts that followed her- not ideal- but she escaped and was back among the trees without any further additional bullet holes added to her collection.

 

She could only run so far, the mess Elijah had made of her shoulder and the non-trivial quantity of blood she'd lost in the process diminished her ability to navigate the forest. Hearing the branch snap behind her was ominous, yes, but she was unable to calm her breathing from where she sagged against a birch. She'd thought herself lucky that it'd not snowed yet this year but apparently it did not apply. 

 

Pushing herself off the tree, she continued to stumble forward. It was growing dark rapidly and she was thankful for the grove she'd stumbled into. The birch caught the what little light there was better than elm she'd passed and were easier to avoid running into. Another sound, this time in front of her. Her labored breathing hitched and she stumbled to a stop. She'd never been fond of running. Why let that define her final moments? Her head swam and she decided leaning against a tree made for more peaceful endings.

 

She blinked and there he was, looming out of the darkness before her. Ellie huffed and looked away, unhappy to be so thoroughly defeated. It wasn't enough that she'd screwed up, that she'd let not one or two but three Altered escape. She'd followed protocol, played along, mixed lies with truths so that they blended seamlessly and melted beautifully into the background noise of the modern era conspiracies. At the worst it should have been a clean execution by an approved Foundation agent. She didn't deserve this, this indignity. To be eaten by one's own patient?

 

"Doctor..." the Beast growled.

 

Licking her lips, Ellied raised a finger, "In my defense, I did not kill the girl." The Beast prowled around the tree she sagged against, eyes glinting in the darkness. "And as your doctor," she added, a waiver creeping into her voice, "I would advise you not to eat me."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And just when I'd fallen into monthly rhythm, pow! I'm just happy stuff is actually happening again... Have been waiting months to write that scene...


	17. Evolutionary game theory is the application of game theory to evolving populations in biology. It differs from classical game theory in focusing more on the dynamics of strategy change, influenced by the frequency of competing strategies in the population

"... and he went out the window?" Elijah repeated, resisting the urge to rub a hand over his face in despair. It was a bad habit he'd developed over the years in the institution and he needed to stop it. Besides, with his clean shaven look again it wouldn't even feel the same. Any comfort he'd drawn from the gesture would be lost now. All that remained was a bad habit. Bethany's casual slouch did not suggest she had any complaint with the how things had gone down and this distressed him just as much as the news itself had.

 

"I don't see anything wrong with the Beast on the rampage," Cadence chipped in from where she sat on the couch, laptop perched atop crossed legs, another on the table and a third on the cushion next to her. "No publicity is bad publicity, eh?" she asked, grinning widely at him and wiggling her eyebrows. He was quick to smile along with her, knowing that pointing out the numerous ways it could go wrong would be unproductive. He'd sat out yet another encounter and everything had gone to hell, not that anyone had seemed to notice.

 

"I just hope he keeps it quiet," Elijah said when in truth he was just thankful the Beast hadn't tried to pick a fight with David. The very thought of the man made Elijah's eye twitch. "Speaking of quiet, I think you need to go up there and sort things out real quick with David. I-"

 

"I told you, he's tied up and Chris has a gun on his kid," Bethany interrupted. Elijah shot her a withering glare and he continued to speak as if she hadn't.

 

"I know he's physically restrained but provoking that... situation is not going to go well. And more importantly his... feelings cannot be allowed to upset Kevin's-"

 

"It's not Kevin," she interrupted again, sounding sullen but stubborn. "I told you, she says her name is Jade."

 

"Who may at any moment be Kevin-" Elijah snapped, frustrated at her inability to grasp the problem at hand. 

 

"Bethany, honey," Cadence interjected, holding out a hand to forstall Elijah. "Kevin, Jade, it doesn't matter. They're friends of Beast-y Boy. And his friends are our friends so why don't you go back up the fucking stairs and untie anyone who _is_ or _is friends with_ our buddy, ok?"

 

"But what about David?" She asked, frowning and then glaring fiercely at Elijah's frustrated sputter. 

 

"You know what?" Cadence asked, shifting the laptop off and standing up. "Why don't I join you up there." The young woman shot Elijah a look as she placed her hands on the idiot's shoulders and gently guided her back up the steps. "Maybe try to explain to everyone what's going on." 

 

Elijah didn't bother to hide his scowl as he watched the pair disappeared up the stairs. "Is there a mental deficiency factor directly proportional to their strength?" he murmured under his breath. The soft snort from his mother was reassuring. If she was willing to laugh then she couldn't have found the situation that dire. There was a tension between them though and he could feel it almost as an ache in his bones.

 

"I regret letting the girl go in," his mother sighed after a moment, acknowledging her failure. 

 

"It was a calculated risk that hasn't proven false yet," he said, forgiving her. Leaning forward, he brought steepled fingers to his lips. "Incapacitating her but not outright killing her might in fact be the most optimal situation," he observed.

 

Dana Price looked at her son and frowned but said nothing. "Cadence isn't happy about David, I can tell, but she understands it's necessary," he continued, keeping his gaze fixed on the front door. "The Beast remaining useful... remaining here is paramount now." The silence stretched out and Elijah hesitated. "You said she doesn't-"

 

"Why don't I go check on them?" his mother murmured, smoothing her skirt out and avoiding his eye when he looked over to her. "I'm sure Cadence can explain everything but some might find it a bit bitter pill to swallow. Mayhaps I can help with that." She waited for him to nod in acknowledgment before she also headed up the stairs. 

 

The evening stretched out and Elijah took up a sentry post in the home office by the front door. His fingers flew over the keyboard, responding to posts and recording brief videos that he uploaded for his growing number of followers. While he'd much preferred the idea of followers in the flesh and blood, the vision of that van flashed constantly behind his eyes. The Horde had been his first follower, if you didn’t count David. The pair of nurses that had been the Beast's last civilian snack had filled what few moments of sleep he'd been able to steal and now they crept into his waking hours. His mind kept drawing unneeded, unhelpful parallels to the Beast's current activities. Eventually his mother returned to his side, silently joining him on her own device in responding to the digital masses. It was easier to focus on the bigger, more abstract picture with her nearby. 

 

It was well past midnight when the front door opened. There was no knock preceding it and though there was no dramatic slam following it, the sound of movement upstairs suggested the entrance did not go unnoticed. Elijah didn't move to greet their visitor though he did unlock his wheels and reach under the blanket draped across his lap to grip the handgun he'd convinced Jude to lend him. 

 

Though barefoot, the saunter in Kevin Wendell Crumb's step made it instantly obvious who had returned from their hunting excursion. Rather than call out a greeting, Elijah watched in silence while he forced himself to grin casually. Lips curled into a self satisfied smile, Patricia paused at the office's entry way, eyes narrowing a fraction upon seeing him. Course correcting, she approached him but then paused as Cadence stormed down the stairs.

 

"Did you eat her?" the woman asked rather breathlessly, Chris appearing behind her shoulder. The distraught young telepath stared wide eyed but shied away at the sight of Patricia who just made a disappointed tsking sound before turning back to Elijah. She moved to stand across the desk from him, turning her back on the other two Supers. Reaching into her pocket she pulled out a hank of red hair and tossed it down before him. Cadence and Chris hurried over to crowd around.

 

"I wouldn't exactly call Dr Staple 'sacred food'," Patricia observed dryly before pulling a tissue from the box on the desk and wiping her hands off. Elijah could see what looked to be blood under her nails but he couldn't recall if they'd still been stained from the day before or not. "Forgive me for not doing something more dramatic like bringing back her head or a hand or the such."

 

"What happened to Sam?!?" Chris sobbed, clutching at the increasingly irked Cadence's arm. The young woman detached herself from Chris who repeated the question several times, hands clasped beseechingly together, before growing silent in the face of Patricia's arched eyebrow.

 

"Where's Casey?" the Horde quipped back, glaring about the group. "And Jade."

 

"They're upstairs," Dana Price quickly explained, "Hopefully asleep. Casey's head is still quite rattled, she needs bed rest if we're not sending her to the hospital. Jade has been by her side the entire time. They're safe, they're fine." Though she retained her loftily raised chin and smug expression, Elijah could see Patricia relaxed a fraction upon hearing all this.

 

"Is there going to be a massive crime scene?" Cadence sounded part awed and part irritated.

 

"No," was the sharp response, paired with a glare. "Would rather defeat the purpose of tracking Staple down in the first place, wouldn't it? Hmmm? Not unrelated... I found out that the house next door is also a rental. It would be... convenient if no one were to rent it for a while." Cadence's eyes widened at this. It looked like she was going to argue but Patricia silenced her with a glare and further explanation. "The Beast would like to resume his hunting. We've found having... space like that to be useful in the past."

 

An awkward silence hung over the group as everyone clearly took a moment to envision what uses such a space might provide. It was ended by a soft clatter on the desk as Patricia tossed a second item down for everyone to see. A broken nail fail, the edge of it stained in blood, lay next to the hunk of hair. It looked like a scene out of a beauty tutorial gone wrong.

 

"We also found this.... on the woman. _Somehow_ Dr Staple got her hands on a nail file. Sam _assures_ us he has no idea how it happened and...  well, we eventually believed him." Elijah felt a sinking sensation as the girl next to him began to wail.

 

"What did you do to him? Where is he? What- How-" Chris got so worked up she choked on her own sobs. Patricia waited until they'd blurred into a more gentle whimper before she continued to speak again.

 

"'How' is very simple. He explained that to us as well," Patricia added as an aside to Elijah. "Your... 'friend' can swap consciences more effectively and easily than earlier suggested. Rather neat, certainly useful. As demonstrated with David," here she flashed a tight smile at everyone in the room. "Don't worry, we understand." Elijah gripped the pistol he held tighter. "Luckily we have several to spare so rather than taking the Light he's been enjoying Jade's seat." 

 

"Sam assures us- _assures_ us," she continued, stressing the words while she closed her eyes and smiled. "That if we but touch Jade... that is, his body, things will go back to the way they're supposed to be and everything will be right as rain." Clasping her hands before herself, she opened her eyes and smiled around the group. "Right as rain," she repeated. 

 

Elijah didn't care what sort of mental torture they'd performed on the swapper, as long as it wiped the ledger between them clean. Tactically the kid was useful but Elijah needed a figurehead for his campaign more than anything else at the moment. His bargain with Cadence had been primarily for their collective 'muscle', of which the boy did not count. Nodding he smiled, raising his hand and gesturing towards the stairs. "Cadence can show you the way. We gave you two the nicest room in the place.  ...though if you want your own, separate room we can arrange that as well." Elijah steepled his fingers and smiled warmly. Patricia paused at this but just shook her head sharply, seemingly to herself, and then nodded to Cadence to lead the way. 

 

"It's late, we've really had... a day. You know how sleepy one gets after a big meal..." she said in parting, offering a final leering smile around the group. Chris remained standing a moment, sobbing and sniffling before she hurried along a safe distance behind.

 

"Right as rain," Dana Price muttered under her breath, sounding as skeptical as Elijah felt. 

 

Elijah brushed the hunk of hair off the desk and frowned at the small spot of red it left behind. Rubbing it with his thumb he repeated, "Right as rain."

 

* * *

 

"It feels weird," Jade whispered as Casey ran her thumb over the strange, new knuckles. "Like someone's pulling on my sleeve but my shirt's the wrong size or something..."

 

They were laying on the bed, sprawled out over the covers despite the chill in the room. Dana had told Casey she needed rest but the thought of falling asleep right now, here, alone, with a stranger who was also Jude, without Kevin... It felt more uncomfortable than scary, but the effect was the same. 

 

"Maybe they're not coming back," Jade whispered for not the first time. Again, Casey squeezed her fingers. They'd argued briefly about the suggestion that Kevin would be more likely to come back for her than for Jade and Casey was still uncomfortable with the way it'd left her feeling. Jade had moved on to worrying about falling into diabetic shock with this new body but Casey lingered on the odd idea of being more important to someone then someone who was…. part of them. Or something. 

 

"I am certain they're coming back," was the response Casey'd settled on and she repeated it once again.

 

Both of them jerked up when the door was unceremoniously thrown open. Casey hissed in pain, raising a hand to her head and immediately laid back down. There was that throbbing pain at the base of her skull again. Moving too fast or focusing too hard on missing memories of the doctor’s escape seemed to be reliable triggers. 

 

Jade stumbled to her feet and then took an awkward step towards Patricia. Both froze, standing immobile and staring at the other long enough for Chris to slip past and hover near Jade's elbow, clearly in anticipation of it being Sam's again. Jude hung back by the door and Cadence slipped up silently behind her. 

 

Bethany's arrival broke the strange tension and Patricia seemed to become aware of Chris's presence again. "Sam says 'Hi'," she said, turning her full attention on the young woman.

 

"That's not true," Chris whispered in horror. Patricia flashed her a wicked, tight lipped grin. 

 

"I'm sorry, you're right. That's not what he said but I don't really feel up to repeating that whole spiel at the moment." Her eyes jumped to Bethany's and held them. "I'm sure you understand."

 

Turning to look back at Jude, current resident of the body of Sam, Patricia continued, "Sam tells me our friend Chris here can detect when people lie. So many special skills you all didn't share with us." She raised her hands and wiggled her fingers as she offered another tight smile about the room, eyes flashing. "At least I can be certain that you'll believe me when I say if this doesn't go well," she flicked a finger between herself and the still stunned Jade, "It's going to very, very poorly for the rest of you." And with that she reached out and gripped Jade's arm, large hand fully enveloping the smaller figure’s bicep. 

 

Patricia drew a deep breath and her eyes fluttered while the body of Sam suddenly convulsed and then threw himself into the corner. Chris cried out and followed him to where he crouched on the floor but the other three women just watched wide eyed and horrified. Casey had a pretty good feeling that it was Sam again given how he sobbed and curled up, where as it seeed Patricia simply remained... Patricia.

 

"Excuse me for a moment," Patricia murmured, clasping her hands and closing her eyes. "Hedwig, would you hold the Light for me while I...." her shoulders slumped and she rocked on her feet for a moment before eyes snapped open and it was clearly a gleeful child looking about. 

 

Catching sight of Jude and Bethany, he scoffed. "You guys are in a lot of trouble," he lisped before his gaze slid onto Casey. Eyes widening, he quickly crawled up onto the bed next to her. She barely snatched her hand back in time to save it from being crushed by a knee. "Casey! Casey, we were all so worried for you!" He reached out and clumsy cupped her face in his large hands. "We were so _angry_ when we found out that the doctor hit you! We- I-" he faltered for a moment, slumping, and then drew another deep breath. Eyes fluttering, he lifted his head and looked around. The fingers on Casey's face changed, a tension running through them as they pressed a little harder into her flesh.

 

Patricia held her chin and gazed cooly down upon her, still crouched on the bed beside her. Carefully she tipped Casey's head slightly one way and then the other, Casey allowing it but maintaining fierce eye contact the entire time. "Yes, good," Patricia observed before smiling at her. Turning, the smile grew colder as she faced the rest of the company. "Jade is fine, as Ms Price promised, and Casey does appear to be about as well off as we could hope."

 

Gracefully sliding off the bed, Patricia stood tall and smoothed her hands over the jacket Barry had dressed them in earlier that day. Casey saw Bethany's hands flex at this but rather than feeling fearful she was just exhausted. The never ending posturing was growing old and after the tense hours she and Jade had spent waiting, it just was too much. 

 

"Get the fuck out of the our room," she spit at Bethany and swept her gaze to include Jude and Cadence in her wrath. Jude flinched at this, looking guilty while Cadence was nodding now and smiled at Patricia as if she'd shared a funny joke. 

 

"Great to have you back, Horde." the woman said, adding finger guns along with a grin.

 

"It's Patricia," she snapped, making a sweeping gesture to emphasize Casey's command. This was more effective and the door clicked softly closed behind them not long after. Patricia rested her hand on it. Back turned to Casey she stood facing the exit for a moment longer, head bowing slightly till suddenly her entire posture collapsed. With it, Casey felt her own tension mount.

 

"Kevin," Casey whispered, struggling to sit up again as he clearly sagged against the door and them stumbled towards the bed. "Kevin what happened?"

 

The weight of him colliding against her as he slumped onto the bed took her breath away but luckily he leaned against her uninjured side. "I can't," he gasped, pressing his head into her shoulder and shaking. "I can't tell you."

 

* * *

 

David wasn't surprised by any of it. Nothing. Sitting in a room, cuffed four times over and shackled to a chair, was about how he'd expected all of this to go. Sure, he wouldn't have thought the doctor would turn on Casey like that, but the fact that he and Joseph had a gun trained on them and they were once again back in the fire seemed almost expected. He sighed heavily and both Joseph and Jude echoed the sound a moment later.

 

"Could you please-" Jude started to complain when the door was thrown open. David tensed, gut churning at the thought of encountering that Sam kid again. It didn't matter that Jude still claimed they were the 'good guys', that he had no 'lingering effects' from the encounter. The memory made him tense in fear like no 'bad guy' he'd ever faced. The sight of waddling Bethany had him immediately slumping in his chair however. The few times he'd thought to test his situation this morning, she's put a quick end to such ideas.

 

Ignoring Jude, the woman snatched up the remote and immediately turned the opulent bedroom TV to some news channel. There was a talking head on one side and shaky camera footage on the other with several banners of scrolling text above and below. "-with no real idea of how-" the announcer was saying as the TV came to life but Bethany quickly muted it. 

 

"It's another Super," she explained over the video, gesturing with the remote. "Some crazy in New York. Can climb anything and just... even if he falls he's perfectly fine." She clutched the remote to her chest, eyes glued to the TV. "He tried to kidnap that actress who played Gwen Stacy. Tried to, like, escape with her but then dropped her." Joseph gasped. "Broke her arm, nothing more. But, like... they can't find him now. They keep playing this collection of footage from the witnesses." Bethany looked over at Jude, eyes wide. "He was right. There's _way_ more of us out there." Turning back to the TV a grin crept over her face. "One of the videos is of him screaming about the Foundation. Sounds batshit crazy but, you know, half right. Mr Glass was right. We're spreading the truth. And when people realize the truth," she nodded to herself, "when we all realize what's true, shit's going to go down."

 

They unmuted the TV and all watched in silence as news cycled through the handful of clips the station had of this 'Spider Man' but it didn't take long for them to start repeating the same information over and over. Bethany wandered out not long after that, huffing with hand placed over belly. Jude quickly upped the volume and scooted even closer to watch raptly but still with an eye on guarding them. From down the hall David could hear the softer sounds of Kevin arguing with someone. Elijah chimed in, voice illegible but unmistakable, seemingly in Kevin's favor. The argument continued and the Kevin's voice switched, first to Barry's then someone loud and argumentative and then silence. David could guess who that was.

 

After a stretch of quiet there was shouting and then the trail of profanities Cadence left in her wake could be heard all the way down the steps. More raised voices followed shortly after and then a sharp shout and the sound of doors being dramatically opened. 

 

"You shouldn't-" Dennis's scolding voice was just down the hall and approaching. "Mr Glass said if you got worked up- please just come back- don't make me- Casey- Casey," The voices were just outside the door. "Casey, we-" 

 

The door was thrown open and an angry looking Ms Cooke stormed into the room. Jude raised a finger and opened her mouth but glares from both Dennis and Casey caused to her simply close it and she pointedly turned back to the TV. Walking straight up to him, Casey glared at David as if he had done something wrong.

 

"We're going to get you out of this," she declared, and David observed Dennis raising a hand to his face just behind her. "I know everything is bad right now but- just-" the girl glared at him, clearly in the midst of some sort of weird dramatic fight with the Horde and misdirecting some emotion towards him. "David, I want you to know we're not going to let anything bad happen to you. I know with Dr Staple- she-" the girl choked up for a moment and there was a dramatic sigh from behind her. Casey visibly tensed and was clearly just as displayed by the appearance of Patricia as he was. 

 

Leaning to the side, he looked past Casey but found Patricia directing her disapproval towards the TV rather than the near weeping girl. On screen, three young women sat neatly dressed at a table across from some other announcer. David would not have recognized them if not for a helpful title text declaring them Escaped Victims of the Horde. His encounter with the girls had been brief, but he'd studied their school photos and these three creatures barely resembled the girls they'd once been.

 

"No way," one of them was arguing vehemently with the host. "He helped us. Now way he's evil. That man saved us. And I-" the girl turned to face the camera directly, ignoring the host's attempt to resume control over his interview. "And I just want to thank him, wherever he is, for saving all of us. I know-"

 

"How charming," Patricia murmured, sharply drawing David's attention away from the TV. She stood, hands clasped and continued to watch the young woman on the screen. "See, Casey," she remarked over her shoulder. "This is why we like you, why you're Pure. Same thing happened- worse really- to you and you never once went on any of these nasty little television shows." She tutted, frowning rather dramatically as she continued to watch the girl on the screen. Eyes narrowing, her tongue darted out to lick her lips. "Terrible child, knew I didn't like her the moment I saw her."

 

Her face changed suddenly, still disapproving but more dramatic for a flash and one hand fluttered to her chest. "Patricia!" a voice from her own mouth scolded, though David was unable to recognize it. She quickly schooled her expression and hastily clasped her hands again, standing up straighter.

 

An awkward silence hung over the room after that, Joseph staring wide eyed at the Horde while Casey just pursed her lips and glared. "I'm allowed to not _like her_ ," Patricia stated to no one in particular and then glared at the back of Jude's head. "Besides, the Beast has been given free rein to hunt again." When she said this, her gaze jumped sharply to David and he glared at her as she continued to speak. "Been granted a new... holding pen as it were in fact... They want us to get our strength up before our first big 'event' as Cadence puts it." She added air quotes and a smile to the word but her gaze remained flat and her eyes locked on him. 

 

"They're going to grab you again, David." Patricia moved not at all but continued to stare. "They're going to 'include' you, whether you want to or not. But don't worry. We'll be doing 'good deeds'" She paused and put a finger to her chin before she added, "I think that one was Mr Glass's words." David grit his teeth, seething at this news. "Kevin is very worried of course," here she leaned forward ever so slightly. "But we understand our friends who are helping us out in our time of need right now have our best interests at heart." She pursed her lips at this and raised her eyebrows. 

 

"So you're selling out on the promise of what? Unlimited killing? Everyones just turning a blind eye to you murdering innocent people?" David snapped, struggling forward in his chair. There was a creaking sound and Jude jumped out of her own seat, eyes frantically jumping between Patricia, him, and the exit. 

 

Patricia licked her lips and glared at him. Her gaze pointedly cut over to Casey and then back at him. On quick inspection there were tears visible in the girl's eyes and she seemed to angrily stare at the floor. "Yes," Patricia said carefully, "it does appear that way, doesn't it?" She flashed him a tight smile. "Did you know they have a lie-detecting telepath on their side? No, Jude, it's fine, you don't need to get Bethany." She held out a hand to hold the woman in place. With a smile she stepped across the room to where Joseph sat, bound to his chair with a single handcuff. "David knows what's going on," circling behind his son, Patricia rested her hands on Joseph's shoulders. "There won't be any problems. We're not here to cause problems. Casey just felt the need to stop by and... share some feelings."

 

Joseph blanched and sank down in his seat under the Horde's hands and Casey snapped at her to stop it. The two glare back and forth pointedly before Casey huffed and looked back to David. "I- I just wanted to make sure you knew what was going on. And that I.... David I want you to know that I'm not going to let anything bad happen to you. Or Joseph." Patricia rolled her eyes dramatically at this and raised her hands as if asking God's forgiveness. 

 

" _Casey_ ," she said in a stern voice, circling around to stand before David. "we talked about this. Everything is fine." She raised a hand and it hovered near his shoulder. He hesitated, in part wanting to lean into the touch to see for certain what had befallen Dr Staple but the thought of witnessing one of the Horde's earlier crimes made him ill, held him in place.

 

Before he could fully decide whether to induce a vision or not, Patric picked what appeared to be a piece of lint from the sweater they'd put on this morning. Flicking it away, she clasped her hands behind her back and repeated. "Everything is fine. You just have to trust us."

 

Casey huffed at this and then winced. Both Patricia and David broke off their stare to glance over at the girl. Patricia tutted and moved to wave her back out the room. Looking at David with sad eyes, Casey shrugged. "I just... wanted to make sure you knew what was going to happen," she mumbled, glaring at Patricia before heading towards the door at her own pace. "I thought when I was... in a similar situation... not knowing what would happen was the worst part."

 

The door closed behind the pair and David swallowed thickly. After a brief hesitation, Jude returned to the TV and repeated her warning of him not to try anything. He glanced over at Joseph and found his son looking thoughtful. Catching his father's eye he raised an eyebrow but David just shook his head and hunched his shoulders. Not only did they need to get out of here as soon as possible, they needed to rescue that girl while they were at it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [late author's note] yes, Sam's power is 100% a ripoff of Syd's from Legion. This is fan fiction, clearly I'm lacking in any original ideas to start with. My creation/plotting of him happened during the season 2-3 gap but I flinch now at some of the recent similarities.
> 
> If you're not watching Legion, I assure you you should be.


	18. An evolutionary version of game theory does not require players to act rationally- only that they have a strategy. The game results show how good that strategy was, just as evolution tests alternative strategies for the ability to survive & reproduce

On the second day of confinement in the house a woman who could not burn was discovered outside of Austin, Texas. She was filmed emerging from a house aflame, the screams of her husband and his mistress distant but audible in the video. It was a game of digital cat and mouse, Cadence had crowed, keeping the full video available somewhere online. Censored versions were easier to keep up and available however, and it was an extremely edited one that was eventually picked up and widely used by the media.

The woman was never seen from again, despite her identity being finally revealed the next day. Mr Glass blamed the Foundation but considered the 'battle' won since there was no denying the bizarre footage. The flames had licked at her flesh, the clothing burning and falling away as she'd strutted, eventually nude, down the street and out of sight. The sight had seemed to upset Jude, who sulked in her room to avoid the non stop news coverage. Unlike the shootouts that had been recorded so far involving David and the Beast, which many viewers had dismissed as fear mongering fakes, this event had a crime scene in its wake that drew a lot of attention. Reddit in particular latched onto the fire investigation reports that had been made public, focusing on the extremely confusing conclusions as to the ignition source. The phrase 'personal nuke' was bandied around a lot, which caused Elijah to gripe non-stop about everyone's inability to identify pyrokinesis when it was staring them in the face.

The New York Spider Man was spotted once more, this time outside a woman's window thirteen stories up, watching her change. The validity of this claim was called into question though, the shaky TicTok recording of a man crawling across the windows too hard for many to believe. It was of course disturbingly similar, though less destructive, to what the Beast had done but despite Elijah's and Cadence's wide spread video distribution efforts, David and Kevin were still discussed only as a pair of escaped mental patients on the run completely unrelated to these strange episodes.

Most of this was passed onto Casey by Kevin as he sat with her and explained what she'd slept through. Occasionally she'd endure it first hand when she'd make her way into the common areas but those trips were infrequent. Her head still hurt off and on, a stabbing pain in particular would appear behind her right eye if she stared at screens for too long and she quickly gave up watching the news. There was nothing interesting for her there anyway. She knew better than most what was going on, surrounded by these people who could do unnatural things. She'd caught Bethany and Cadence heckling the TV once when she'd crept out of her room to collect dinner. Being around Kevin and David wasn't that frightening but there was something definitely off about the others.

Kevin would hold her hand, clearly deriving more comfort from it than she did, and tell her about what she'd missed while resting and of the ever shifting plans Cadence and Mr Glass were cooking up. The way he'd tremble when he repeated some of these proposals was telling, likely finding them as disturbing as she did. But he'd never come out and say it. The few times she confronted him about it, asked why he was going along with all this, he'd shy away and then another Alter would be there, trying to calm her down. She hated it most when he let Patricia take the Light, always trying to press her back to bed, to lay down, often times when she was already doing so. Hedwig taking the Light was a handful, his energy too much and often triggering a headache. Barry could barely handle her questions any better and it'd always end with Dennis.

She'd rail at him that they were keeping her in the dark- again. That they were doing terrible things, that they needed to get away from here and Dennis would calmly re-explain one of three facts. Everything was still in the planning phase. She needed to remain calm so that she could heal faster. There were a lot of other powerful people here and they should be careful who they picked a fight with. Just those three facts, over and over. Casey found she preferred Kevin's company over that stonewalling and therefore quickly learned to avoid pressing the issue, at least for now. It was true she had a concussion, but Elijah had assured Kevin that with rest and relaxation she would be fine in a week or two.

When they were able to discuss anything other than her quasi-imprisonment and the uncertain future, it was actually quite nice. Casey had never really had someone she felt so free to talk to, nor anyone so interested in what she had to say. With large gaps in his memory and the fact that he'd missed out on the last couple years of his life, Kevin was more keen to listen than talk. It was easy to forget every now and then how old he was given his interests and willingness to listen to the ramblings of a high school drop.

Though she spent most of her time in her room, she was in no way confined to it. The house and expansive yard were clearly made available to her, though someone always seemed to keep an eye on her when she did wander about. She'd occasionally check in on David and Joseph but doing so always made her feel worse. David would bombard her with questions she couldn't answer and Joseph just looked at her all the time with so much pity in his eyes. In the end, she only wanted to talk to Kevin and occasionally Barry or Jade.

Sometimes though, Kevin would slip away. He'd never explain to her where he went and if she pressed the issue she'd be faced again with Dennis. She spent a lot of time sleeping so it was difficult to tell how frequent or long these trips were. When he was gone her stomach would knot up and she'd feel more ill then usual. It was the same knot she'd carried with her the entire time she'd been kept in that room, waiting for the Beast.

It was one of those awful evenings when Kevin was away that Bethany finally went into labor. Casey had heard the cries and been unable to stay in her room. She wondered for a moment if David had escaped but the sight of his lumbering back blocked her view when she'd drifted down the hall towards the commotion. Casey felt a surge of dizziness as David turned to look at her and lift his chin in greeting in a decidedly un-David like way.

"She's in there with Mr Glass and Jude," Sam said, wearing David like a coat. His gaze skipped down the hall, clearly worried Kevin was with her. Being near Sam, whether he was inside himself or someone else, made her skin crawl and she slid past him, continuing down the hall to the stairs. Dennis and Kevin and everyone were constantly concerned that she get as much rest as possible but it wasn't like she could actually lay in bed all day. There was only so long she could spend cooped up in a single room. The irony of once again waiting in a strange room, alone, for Kevin to return was not lost on her. A primal cry tore through the house, Bethany as loud in labor as she was in most things, sent Casey hurrying down the steps.

In the kitchen, Casey found Ms. Price pouring herself a glass of wine. The old woman's hands seemed to tremble a bit as she raised it but Casey wasn't sure if that was just old age or not. Sliding onto the stool near her, she considered pouring herself a drink- she'd not had wine before. It'd usually been beers and once a bottle of whiskey that she'd managed to steal without her uncle noticing, smuggled into her room and consumed mostly on the nights when she couldn't sleep. Casey went so far as to fetch a glass but she hesitated, hand hovering above the bottle, before she moved instead to the tap and poured herself nothing more than water.

Settling on the stool again, she found Ms Price watching her with a raised eyebrow. "I wouldn't stop you," the woman said, nodding to the bottle. "We're clearly far past caring about legal drinking age." She spoke with a friendly smile but it faltered as another cry echoed down from upstairs. Ms Price gulped a hasty mouthful of wine and then smiled again in a rather forced way.

"Is everything all right?" Casey asked, feeling her own unease rising at the sight of Ms Price's nervousness.

The old woman nodded, looking around the kitchen and then back at Casey, offering another tight smile. "Labor... giving birth...." she dropped her gaze to her wine, giving it a swirl. "It's... been a while, but mine was...." she sipped at her drink this time, the glass clearly trembling now. "...let's just say I'll never forget it. I know how our Bethany is feeling, delivering outside a hospital," she shook her head and shot Casey a quick glance. "My advice, don't ever have kids."

Casey sat there, unmoving, for a long moment before taking a careful a sip of her water. Ms Price was usually the one person in the house she could trust to act normal, and often the only one aside from Kevin who was kind but not pitying. That even she'd started to crack made Casey uneasy and reminded her anew how vulnerable she was. The suggestion that she might be having kids was unsettling but she didn't want to pick a fight with the woman about it right now. There was another shriek and Casey flinched while Ms Price moved to top off her glass.

They stayed there, huddling in kitchen for quite some time, with little more said between them as they listened to Bethany's progress. Casey fixed herself a cup of tea and stared out a window, the snow having arrived just yesterday and quite bright in the moonlight. Despite her efforts, she didn't see Kevin's return and was as surprised as Ms Price when he slipped into the kitchen. Offering them both a weak smile, he pulled a glass from the cupboard and filled it at the faucet. Leaning back against the counter, he looked quickly between the two of them.

"I'm not interrupting anything, am I?" he asked, sounding nervous. Casey snorted and looked out the window again, as if she'd been admiring the landscape the whole time, rather than keeping watch.

"No no, not at all," Ms Price assured him, sipping at what was approximately her third glass of wine. "Would love the distraction in fact." Her smile turned into a grimace at the sound of another dramatic scream. "How has your evening been?" she asked, smiling wide.

Kevin paused, carefully glancing over to Casey who turned to fix him with a stare. She considered repeating the question but just raised a silent eyebrow instead. While she doubted he'd tell Ms Price anything, she was curious what sort of lie or evasion he'd come up with this time. She'd certainly never gotten a straight answer on what it was he did when he slipped away. When they were alone Kevin would whisper assurances to her that everything was fine, that she needed to trust him. When they were with others, when Patricia forced her way into the Light, there would be casual round-about reference to further Impure being consumed.

"It's been.... busy," was the careful wording, followed by a clearing of the throat. "How long has she been- been-" he waved a vague hand towards the ceiling.

"How long have you been gone?" Casey just asked instead, frustration bubbling over. Kevin winced at this and glanced over to Ms Price as the woman took another sip of wine and raised both eyebrows at him when he looked to her for help.

"Oh don't involve me with any sort of lovers' spat..." she waved a hand in dismissal of Casey's horrified expression.

"Ms Price, I- I thought I made it clear to everyone-" Kevin started to protest and the woman extended her gesture to flutter her hand at him as well.

"Please, call me Dana," she smiled. "And I've heard your protests- and Dennis's as well. And Barry's. I'm just... teasing," she said, flashing the first genuine smile that Casey had seen that evening. Kevin shot Casey an embarrassed look as the old woman took another sip of her drink.

"Elijha's father was quite old," Dana murmured into her wine glass, hiding a smile. "Far, far older than myself." She nodded and gestured broadly with her drink. Casey was thankful it was nearly empty given how it sloshed. "So I understand this whole May-December... _thing_  you've got going on." This time Casey and Keven exchanged embarrassed looks. Despite how close they'd grown in the last week, their relationship had remained strictly platonic. Twice she'd woken up to Hedwig curled up against her back but she'd found the contact more comforting than disturbing. Dennis certainly still looked at her in a way that might be considered inappropriate, but she wasn't going to hold his bad behavior against everyone else.

"There's- there's no _thing_ \- nothing is- nothing like _that_  is happening between Casey and I," Kevin hurried to assure both Dana and Casey of this fact, looking between the two and raising a hand to nervously run over his head. The old woman nodded in understanding and then continued as if he hadn't said anything.

"The others don't approve, but I want you to know that after watching how you've taken care of her-" Again Kevin tried to protest but the woman just spoke over him, "-I'm much more understanding. Sympathetic." Another shriek from Bethany had Ms Price hurriedly taking a drink while Kevin visibly flinched at the sound. "It's good to see that you're standing by her," she continued, "even when she's...." both of them turned to look at Casey.

"Even when I'm what?" Casey snapped, her sympathy for the woman boiling away. "Injured? Useless?" Her angry glare jumped from the drunken Ms Price to Kevin. "A liability?" Kevin shook his head.

"I was going to say inconvenient," Ms Price observed, looking into her now empty glass. "Many men... most men tend to discard a woman once she'd inconvenient." The sudden sorrow in her voice took the edge off Casey's wrath. The look on Kevin's face was one of distress that mixed with unease when he glanced over to Casey.

It was easier to let go of her irritation with Ms Price- the old woman was clearly very disturbed by what was going upstairs and had drunk herself stupid to cope with it. Her anger at Kevin's evasions however had just been growing day by day and she found it difficult to tamp down again. She was on the verge of pressing the issue as to where he'd been when his eyes fluttered in that familiar manner. He must have known she was going to ask and fled the Light. The accusation of 'coward' sat in her throat but she swallowed it when it became clear who had taken his place.

With languid motions, Patrica pushed away from the counter and fetched herself a wine glass from the cupboard. Dana exchanged a friendly smile with her that was almost conspiratorial as she poured generously for them both. The two clinked glasses together and sipped, moments before another scream came from above. Patricia rolled her eyes dramatically at this and shook her head disapprovingly. "Now that's just a scream for attention," she observed, tilted her head to stare up at the ceiling. "I know what an injured animal sounds like and she's really not in that much pain..." she tutted but seemed to look a touch surprised as Dana nodded along with her.

"I thought it was frustration," Dana commented, sounding morose and consoling herself with another gulp. "Either way, it's been dramatics all this time..." Seeing Casey's surprise she added, "I raised Elijah... I know what real pain sounds like." Her gaze slid away and she stared out the window. "You can tell a lot from a scream."

"Any idea how much longer all this is going to take? Casey needs her rest," Patricia smiled warmly, seemingly unfazed by Dana's unnerving statement. "And I'm quite tired myself... or do they need me to look after David?" she asked, straightening up and going so far as to drift towards the stairs. "Since everybody is probably busy..." she added, pausing to sip her drink and look casual.

Dana shook her head, still distractedly staring out the window. "No no... they've gone and switched him and Sam, or whatever it is they do... Chris is keeping watch over him and his son... Jude is assisting Elijah with the delivery."

"... and Cadence?"

"Declared she couldn't sleep through everything sober and locked herself in her room. From what Elijah has told me there's a good chance she might be out till tomorrow afternoon."

Patricia pursed her lips, finger tapping the glass she held as her gaze darted to Casey and then to Ms Price. With a suggestive nod of her head to follow, she slipped out of the kitchen. Sighing, Casey trailed after her into the living room but refused to sit next to her on the couch, despite the encouraging pat Patricia gave the cushion. Examining her over the rim of her glass, Patricia asked, "How are you feeling? Well enough?" There was a suggestive twitch to her head and raised eyebrows. Casey paused, surprised that she hadn't needed to deflect a command to sleep. There was another cry from upstairs and Patrica slipped off the couch and right up next to her. "We could leave, right now. If you're well enough for it."

"What?" Casey asked, drawing away from the sudden closeness as well as the question. Patricia sighed sharply, an almost hiss of frustration, and looked to the side as she placed the glass on the table.

"No, you need to talk to her," she snapped and then her shoulders sagged and she swayed on her feet. Blinking twice, someone else looked back at Casey. With a nervous lick of his lips, she didn't even need him to speak to know Kevin had mustered the nerve to face her. She let him reach out to grab her hands, knowing it would help him, and hoped it'd delay the inevitable return of Dennis.

"Casey don't- don't think too loud or- or too hard about it," he whispered, staring pleadingly at her. "But if you think you can make a run for it and you want to go we- we can leave. Now. If that's what you want," Wincing he dropped his gaze, falling silent till she gave his hands a squeeze. When he eventually looked up, she was relieved to see no tears though he did look pained. "But I don't know if we can help David and Joseph. Right now." Glancing around, he seemed almost frightened of the walls around him. "I'm- I'm trying to do something but you have to trust me. But if you wanted to go right now, we could do it. Everyone is distracted, we could get enough of a head start I think."

"But we'd have to leave Joseph and David," she repeated, feeling cold. She half expected her head to begin hurting again but the only pain she felt was that of being torn between what she wanted to do and what she knew she should do.

"We- I could try and come back for them later. After you were somewhere safe-"

"You promised me," she said, clenching her jaw. "No more killing-"

"I promise! Everything is- will be fine. But you have to trust me, with Chris around we can't risk her picking anything up-"

"You promised me that nothing bad would happen to the Dunns. We're not leaving," Casey said with more conviction than she felt. She'd only known the Dunns for a couple days but after Claire and Marcia, she didn't want to have anyone else's death on her conscience. The memory of a bloody Dr Staple surfaced briefly and she forced herself to overlook it. A relieved smile flickered across Kevin's face at her words and he ran a hand over the back of his head, turning away for a moment to pace with nervous energy.

"I- I didn't think you wanted to," he explained, glancing back at her. "But some of the others thought you might..." The suggestion that she might be a coward stung but she felt the knot of tension about Kevin's activities loosen. This was why she'd decided to stay, to help. Right choices were often the hard ones but she felt better knowing Kevin was trying. Not abandoning the Dunns seemed like an important step in the right direction, to atone for what the Beast had done. She just wished she could play a larger roll than just moral support. Stepping forward, she reached out and caught his hands, giving them an encouraging squeeze. Kevin returned it, flushing slightly and glancing over her shoulder back into the kitchen.

"We're not leaving," she said, firmly. "And I know you can't _tell_  me anything right now, but I want to help. I mean it. When the time comes..."

The admiring smile this earned her made her blush a bit and she enjoyed it when he gave her hands another squeeze. "Definitely. You're- We're definitely going to need your help when the time comes." His joy seemed to diminish a little and his shoulders sagged. "If we're not leaving," he whispered, "then I should... we should make the most of this opening." He offered her an apologetic smile as he carefully withdrew his hands. "Patricia believes talking to Ms Price right now could help. And I trust her... about that," he hastily added as Casey's eyes widened in surprise. "With talking.... She's... better at it than I am."

He did at least wait for her to nod before relaxing and letting the switch take place. Patricia retrieved her barely touched glass of wine and gave Casey a quick look up and down. "You really should be resting," she observed and then sighed as a well timed shriek underlined how ridiculous the suggestion was. "I really do loath that woman," she murmured before stepping around Casey and moving towards the kitchen. "This is likely to go better if you stay out of the way. Off to bed!" Without waiting to be obeyed, she glided back into the kitchen.

Fuming, Casey stood in the living room for a while longer and tried to collect her composure. She strived to hold onto the hope and faith that she'd felt talking to Kevin but Patricia's attitude had undermined that confidence. Though she doubted she had a life to return to, Casey wondered what she was doing here. Ms Price had called her inconvenient and it depressed her to think of how true it was. Closing her eyes, she drew a deep breath and instead retreated to the memory of her night in the cage. The Beast had said her heart was pure and that she was different from the rest. That she wasn't worthless or inconvenient. "Rejoice," she mumbled under her breath, and stood up straighter.

The sound of Patricia and Ms Price's conversation was barely audible from the kitchen doorway but there was something to the tone of it that caused Casey to hover, unnoticed at the threshold.

 

* * *

 

"He always said he wanted to find others like him," Ms Price sighed, so far into her cups now that she seemed to hardly care whether she had an audience or not. "find them and _help_  them. Help them realize what they were." She nodded her head, "like with David Dunn. I met the man, you know? Before he realized what he was, before he realized what Elijah had done in pursuit of his cause...he was _thankful_... He was coming over to _thank_  my son for everything he'd done for him." Patricia found the idea of Mr Dunn expressing gratitude, especially towards Elijah hard to imagine but nodded her head politely.

"I knew Elijah was destined for great things," the woman continued "I was supportive of him the whole time. I wanted to be there, with him, when his glory was seen by the whole world..."

"But he... even though he killed _a lot_ of people?" Patricia couldn't help but ask in a mildly surprised tone, masking it by pretending to take a drink and hastily adding. "I mean, I'm not one to judge..." Dana just shrugged and took another sip of wine before flashing Patricia a sharp smile.

"Everybody is stepping on someone to achieve their dreams. I'd rather my son be the foot rather than the fools under it," there was a cadence to the way she recited it that suggested it'd been said many times before. The sing-song proverb tone to it caused Patricia to pause.

"...what exactly was it that Elijah's father did?," she asked, seemingly out of the blue.

Dana hummed a happy sound and gazed into her glass. "He ran a... business... He was a, hmmm... A _cleaner_  you might say." There was a noise of surprise from Patricia which she covered by taking an actual sip of her drink. It turned into a choking cough as Dana added, "so I can understand where young Casey is coming from."

"And what became of Mr Price?" Patricia asked, pulling a napkin to dab at her mouth and then refilling Ms Price's glass but not her own.

Dana shook her head, but accepted the pour. "Oh no, no...I was born a Price. Charles and I..." she shook her head and sighed. "There was... a 'work accident' while I was carrying Elijah. He never got to meet his son...though I know he'd be proud of him. The apple didn't fall far from the proverbial tree."

"Indeed?" Patricia murmured, eyebrows raised high in surprise. That did seem to explain a lot, she realized.

"Oh yes," Ms Price said, leaning towards to the attentive Patricia. "Charles was a driven man with many enemies, but a clarity of vision. I can appreciate a dedication to one's work." She nodded to herself as her lips turned down in a frown. "Charles had real enemies that were eventually the end of him... but my boy is just seeing phantoms. My son seems to have gotten it into his mind that an eighteen year old girl is his latest arch nemesis...." She smiled sadly at this, staring off into the distance for a while before glancing back over. "I don't know whether to be relieved or worried."

Making an inquiring noise was all that it took. Dana was clearly in need of a sympathetic ear and had gotten drunk enough to finally let loose. Patricia continued to make the appropriate consoling responses as the woman bemoaned Elijah's constant rantings about how Casey was thwarting some plan or undermining him in some way. This evolved into the sharing of all of Elijah's complaints. Thankfully Casey did not enter the kitchen during all this, though Patricia doubted the girl had actually gone back to bed as she should. Given the incessant screams coming from Bethany, it was understandable this one time.

Curiously, there were no comments in Ms Price's drunken revelations about Cadence and Patricia wondered if they simply did not exist or were not ones she felt comfortable repeating. While the gripes against Casey were blatantly foolish, Elijah's second hands complaints with everyone else were obvious and easy to empathize with.

"His issues with David are the same as they've always been- and I assure you it took years for him to finally move on. Years. Now these rants against Casey... I wish he could just understand." Dana smiled slyly over the rim of her raised drink. "I wasn't much older than young Ms Cooke when I had Elijah and his father wasn't much younger than our Mr Dunn here." Swirling her glass of wine, she stared down into it for a moment. "So I can see how some bad decisions are being made. But that's just... hot blooded thinking, everyone falls prey to it some time. No... what grips my son is just... madness." There was no self pity or sadness in the statement, but Patricia was familiar with that tone of resignation, she'd heard it enough times from Dennis. Still, she couldn't help but bristle at the underlying implication that any of their logic might be flawed or that Casey had undue influence over them.

"I'm sure Elijah has enough sanity to spare for any such quibbles. Hah," Patricia made a dismissive gesture, "as if Casey could pose any sort of threat- to anyone!... Especially compared to Mr Dunn. Why I'm surprised he hasn't broken out of those bonds yet. He is so unduly concerned for the well being of his son," she added in a disappointed murmur. If the Dunns would just escape on their own, matters would be far less complicated.

"It must be difficult for you," Ms Price smiled, "Romantically. I mean, all the others seem so obsessed with Casey...is no one else in there," she gestured in a circular manor at Patricia's head with a pointed finger, "interested in Mr Dunn?" Patricia had been in the process of raising her drink but froze, glass inches from her lips. "Hmmmm... don't look so surprised, though I'll admit you hide it well. Don't worry, while I've an eye for such things I'm quite certain Elijah hasn't noticed."

"I- You're quite mistaken," Patricia mumbled before taking a careful sip of wine. Her gaze jumped to the window and she pursed her lips. The shadowy outline of Casey still stood in the doorway and Patricia wondered how much the girl could actually hear, lurking in the other room like that. Ms Price chuckled and swayed a bit in her seat as she raised her glass in a pantomime of a toast.

"Don't worry, my dear, your secret is safe with me. To brutishly strong men and the women who love them," Dana seemed too amused at her own words to notice Patricia sat unmoving.

 

* * *

 

They continued to walk in silence, but continue they did. Joseph didn't understand why they kept up this play of friendship- he and his dad were clearly prisoners- but being civil never hurt anyone's odds.

"Oops, wait," Casey mumbled and Joseph paused pushing the chair for a moment as the girl leaned in and re-adjusted the scarf wrapped around his father. Kevin continued to twitch uncomfortably and seemed to look everywhere but at David. Joseph couldn't tell if he was embarrassed, afraid, keeping watch, or just really weird. While Casey's company was actually a nice distraction, Joseph found Kevin to be just as off-putting as his other psychotic alters were.

"Does your dad even get cold?" Casey asked as she stepped back and they continued their simple circuit around the yard. "Or is he, like, afraid of snow because it's kind of like water?" These were questions Joseph had spent many years pondering and it felt weird to have them asked out in the open. His father would never approve of such talk but at the moment David Dunn was far too medicated to express much of an opinion on anything. Which made the questions feel even more wrong.

Shrugging, Joseph kept his head down and focused on pushing the chair forward. It was the hospital one they'd taken during the escape, Mr Glass having had something flashier delivered the other day, and the ruts they'd left in the snow seemed to be making it harder, not easier, to move forward.

"How much longer?" Joseph asked.

"We could go in now if-" Kevin began to nervously reply.

"I mean here. At this place. How much longer are we just... waiting," Joseph had hoped that they'd be able to slip away while Bethany had her baby but they'd taken his dad... but not really. Spending the evening with his dad in the body of a man younger than even Joseph had been extremely unpleasant for both of them. It also had made the idea of 'escape' confusing and frightening.  Thankfully Sam didn't seem that keen on the experience either. Somehow between Bethany, Chris, and Sam they'd convince themselves that drugging David would be the best course of action during Bethany's period of recovery, rather than simply remaining 'swapped' the whole time. Well, the woman had super healing so she'd bounced back from the ordeal of birth hours ago while David still sat slumped, dazed and quite out of it.

"What did they even give him?" Casey had asked when they'd finally met up for their daily walk and Joseph had to pass on the anagram cocktail that they'd forced down his father's throat. He didn't think Casey was into drugs, despite her clearly troubled past, and the fact she looked as confused as he did about the list made Joseph feel a little better. The one benefit of David's state was that Bethany watched them from her bedroom window rather than the lawn-chair she normally sat in while the prisoners got in their 'yard time'. The fact that there was no baby in her arms seemed a little weird.

"Mr Glass and Cadence are working on a plan," Kevin recited for not the first time. Casey clearly rolled her eyes at this and Joseph sighed. "They don't like when any of us interrupt them... though they do listen to our input. I've pushed for something where nobody gets hurt."

"You can't actually be planning on _helping_  them?" Joseph asked in strangled disbelief. "Kevin, these people are crazy, they're k- k-" he stuttered to a halt as the man turned and looked at him with narrowed eyes.

"No one's getting hurt," he repeated, but his eyelid twitched and he swung his head away.

"People have already gotten hurt...." Joseph whispered, glancing at Casey though the girl avoided meeting his eyes.

There was a dramatic sigh and Kevin's head swung back, "Joseph, come on," Barry's voice pleaded with him as the man's face seemed to rearrange itself yet barely moved. "The Horde... they... we're trying to work together here, to do our best. The Beast-" he licked his lips nervously and glanced to the house and back, continuing with a lowered voice, "the Beast is out of his closet you might say. There's no- we can't get him to just _leave_... The Beast is real, Kevin agrees with the Horde- sorry, _The Others_ ," he amended with an exasperated glance to the heavens, "that the world needs to understand that the Beast is real- that your father is real. The message Mr Glass is trying to spread is real and important. But yeah, these people are crazy." He paused to glance down at the sleeve of his coat, which he'd begun to unconsciously fidget with. Wrinkling his nose, he shook out his hands and tucked them into his coat pockets.

"We're looking out for you and your dad," he added, gesturing to Casey with a nod of his head. "Although if you guys could _also_  help out...?"

Joseph sighed and ducked his head, partially shamed by the question and partially flustered by Barry's rationalizations. It wasn't like he didn't think the world should know about his dad. He just wished they weren't held prisoner... though the way David went on about his fellow escapees, Joseph couldn't really blame them for not trusting him.

"I- I had a butter knife at one point... I don't know what I thought I was going to do with it but- after they'd grabbed my dad last night Chris asked me if I was planning to escape and..." That's all she'd done- simply ask him if he'd been planning to escape and stared into his eyes. The butter knife hidden under the mattress was confiscated moments later, without a word being said. Joseph sighed in frustration and shook his head. "How do you keep anything from her?" he asked, almost pleading.

Barry made a mock groaning sound and rocked on his heels, "Oh trust me, it's not worth it. Hedwig and Jade have been taking turns singing non-stop. It's driving the rest of us almost crazy but apparently it's all she can hear when she tries to do that thing," he tapped the knit cap he wore. "God's plan, God's plan," he recited gravely. Joseph drew back, worried the alter had joined the other supers in thinking overly much of himself and Barry hurried to explain they were song lyrics.

"We want to help," Joseph eventually said, after they'd continued several more feet in silence. "I just- We're not really sure what to do. Does Bethany have a weakness...?"

"Of course she does- comes with the powers, remember? But, Joseph," Barry sighed, giving him a friendly but sad smile, "you just confessed to being unable to hide a butter knife from them... I'm not going to tell you anything." He looked away. "Not until the time is right. Though... I know I'm asking a lot, for you to trust me- us. But there is something you could do to help..." Scratching at the back of his neck he offered a sheepish smile. "When your dad was doing more of that 'vigilante' thing," Barry actually raised his hands to offer literal air quotes as he spoke the word, "did you guys have, say, a contact or someone who could find people for you?"

The name Randy Mitchell immediately popped into Joseph's head and he was thankful it wasn't Chris asking the question. He'd quickly come to hate the feeling of having some thought plucked from his mind without his consent. "Why?" Joseph asked as he mulled over the idea and Barry gave him a 'come on' expression of exasperation.

"Because I need help," was all the man offered. Casey seemed as surprised by this request as Joseph was and looked between the two with curious interest. How the girl put up hanging out with Kevin all the time, Joseph had no idea. Of course, given the girl's background he wasn't that surprised.

Joseph struggled with the idea of handing over Randy's contact info, debating the odds of things going worse because it. Given their current situation, it seemed almost impossible. He knew without doubt that his dad would deny such a request but Joseph still held onto hope that things might improve. The fact that the Horde wasn't just asking Cadence or Mr Glass had to mean something. Joseph just hoped it meant something good.

With a sigh Joseph mumbled the man's name and email address, stressing that no harm come to him. Barry nodded hurriedly and seemed to brighten up with this information. The rest of the walk was spent in the company of a bubbly Barry who took great delight in detailing the latest super report, this one unfortunately unrecorded and entirely hearsay. The idea of someone being able to fly would have once enchanted Joseph but these days the idea just sent a chill down his spine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for delay, taking longer to make sure everything lines up for a safe narrative landing... ending stories is far harder than starting them :-/ 
> 
> Yes, already had a scene drinking in a kitchen. Several of 'em. I feel like half the memories I have of interacting with my family all took place around the kitchen island, cups of various liquids indicating what phase of life it was....
> 
> Is it me, or did my writing tone change? I feel like this sounds different than how I started...? Yet another reason why not to let a story drag on this long...


End file.
